VIVmag cover model Jane Leeves, at right, performed "Anything Goes" for charity with her "Hot in Cleveland" co-stars Wendie Malick and Valerie Bertinelli.
We have to say last week was a good one for promoting causes in Hollywood, with the ladies of Hot in Cleveland out in force, taking part in the Alzheimer’s Association’s annual “A Night at Sardi’s” musical revue and supporting the Humane Society of the United States’ 25th Anniversary Genesis Awards.
Wendie Malick, Valerie Bertinelli and VIVmag March/April cover model Jane Leeves — wearing a slinky red Norma Kamali gown, top hat and tails, and a sailor costume, respectively — wowed us with their fun take on “Anything Goes” in the “Red, Hot & Cole” tribute to the music of Cole Porter. “I had a ball!” exclaimed Leeves, who got to spend time with her Frasier friends David Hyde Pierce (who sang “You’re the Top”) and John Mahoney, who’ll be a Cleveland guest star in the second half of the season, premiering in June.
We also loved Vanessa Williams in her steamy take on “Too Darn Hot” from Kiss Me Kate and Audra McDonald, whose lovely soprano on “So in Love” and “I Happen to Like New York” were highlights of the night. “I have a family member who’s afflicted by this terrible disease. It affects all of us,” McDonald says, explaining why she wanted to participate.
Three days later, the Genesis Awards honored news and entertainment media programming and individuals for the positive portrayal of animal-protection issues, with the Hot in Cleveland stars presenting. “My fabulous co-stars Betty White and Wendie Malick are huge animal advocates and they’ve taught me so much,” said lifelong animal lover Leeves, who has a special trip planned for her series break. She’s going to visit her family in England, and then she, her husband and kids, and her extended family will spend a week in Positano, Italy, to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Also at Genesis, Sex and the City’s Kristin Davis received the Wyler Award for her work on behalf of orphaned elephants and black rhinos. “It’s a cause that I care very much about,” she said. “We’re all connected to the animals on the planet and we need to take care of them.”
Animal Planet will telecast the Genesis Awards ceremony on April 30 at 7 p.m., with an encore presentation May 1 at 9 a.m.
Which animal-related causes do you support?
Photo credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Alzheimer’s Association