Fund-Raiser’s Success Is Music to Their Ears

In a way, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Abe Burrows had the last word against the disease that killed him in 1985. Or at least the last song.

Wednesday at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, the Alzheimer’s Assn. used Burrows’ “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (for which Frank Loesser wrote the music and lyrics) as the centerpiece for its “A Night at Sardi’s” fund-raiser, which netted $210,000.

The fact that Burrows suffered from the incurable, degenerative ailment that impairs memory and behavior was especially ironic since he was renowned for his wit.

“The man lived by his brain and died by his brain,” said his son, “Cheers” creator James Burrows.

But the elder Burrows did leave behind a theatrical legacy that could be revived with surprising freshness.

*

After remarks by host Shelley Fabares and the presentation of awards to Home Savings of America CEO Richard Deihl, “Picket Fences” creator David Kelley and HOME residential care facility founder Linda Laisure, producer David Griffiths and musical director Larry Blank put an impressive dozen-strong cast to work.

“If you were offering them real jobs,” said Griffiths, “you could never get a cast like this.”

On stage were Kelsey Grammer of “Frasier” singing “I Believe in You”; Dale Kristien of “Phantom of the Opera” fame harmonizing on “Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm” with Claudette Sutherland of the original “Succeed” cast; plus performances by Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker, Peter Scolari, Fyvush Finkel, Jon Cypher, Lenny Wolpe, Cady Huffman, Lee Roy Reams, Nancy Dussault and Charles Nelson Reilly, who acted as narrator. The 40-minute show featured a dozen songs from the musical that opened on Broadway on Oct. 14, 1961. The fact that it could easily have been about ambitious ‘80s yuppies gave the material a contemporary edge. “What made it work is it’s such a good score,” Grammer said. “It’s still cute as hell.”

What made the evening work for the Alzheimer’s Assn. was a combination of a passionate commitment and good connections (dinner chair Laurie Burrows Grad said Grammer’s performance came about because “my brother twisted his arm.”)

“There are a lot of charities,” Home Savings’ Deihl said, “but you’ll never see the level of support and commitment that these people have.”