Not that any of them needed coercion to sing. “Most of us are theater geeks and we’re constantly singing backstage” at the Betty set, laughed Ortiz, who nevertheless was “shaking in my Louboutins” that matched her Alexander McQueen dress before going on. She, Tony, Mark Indelicato, Vanessa Williams, Becki Newton, Chris Gorham and David Blue didn’t get much rehearsal time for their numbers, but they were all terrific, as were Kristen Bell, Michael Chiiklis, Jason Alexander, Zachary Quinto, Zachary Levi, Steven Weber, Jean Louisa Kelly, Lea Thompson, and Dick Van Dyke, who sang “Put on a Happy Face” accompanied by Bye Bye Birdie’s composer Charles Strouse.
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Did you know that many of your favorite TV stars are excellent singers with Broadway-caliber voices? Some of them proved it at the 16th annual A Night at Sardi’s benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, performing in a revue of songs from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Cast members from Ugly Betty were eager to participate because Alzheimer’s Disease hits particularly close to home: Tony Plana’s mother is afflicted. “So when he asked us to do this we all jumped at the chance,” said Ana Ortiz. “Tony is like family, and it’s for a great cause.”
Indelicato, who had a featured part in “The Telephone Hour,” was also nervous, but thrilled since his dream is to sing on Broadway. He and his castmates were eager to go back to work Mar. 17. None of them had seen a script yet, but Plana hoped to see the Suarez family featured more, “and maybe see Ignacio develop his talents as a chef and develop the relationship with his children.”
Ortiz had no Betty scoop either, but did have an explanation. “They won’t tell us anything, because they know I’ll blab. They won’t tell America and I anything because we can’t keep a secret!”
Hector Elizondo, who was there to present an award, also has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s. His mother and several aunts died of it, “and it also killed my father. The caretaking wiped him out.” Still waiting for the final word on Cane’s future—“there’s still a chance” of its renewal, he said—Elizondo will produce and play a small part in an independent movie for Salma Hayek’s company.
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