Palm Beach Society: Patti LuPone wows crowd at MorseLife dinner dance

A knockout performance by a Broadway legend highlighted the signature Palm Beach fundraiser for MorseLife Health System.

The event took place Dec. 17 at The Breakers and featured a mini-concert by the three-time Tony Award winner Patti LuPone.

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Donald Ephraim and Terri Sriberg were chairman and chairwoman for the evening, which honored the organization's 39th birthday and which began in the Mediterranean Room with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and lots of buzz about the night's entertainment.

After cocktails, the crowd moved to the Venetian Ballroom, decorated in an homage to the golden age of movie theaters in red, gold and black, with velvet curtains, fringed lampshades, and mounds of red flowers.

MorseLife Health System’s president and CEO Keith Meyers spoke briefly, giving a shout-out to chairs Ephraim and Sriberg, honorary chairs Jean Sharf and Bruce Beal, and junior chairs Nick Hissom and Kameron Ramirez.

"Our chairs for MorseLife’s 39th birthday celebration have assembled a gorgeous event to toast our donors and friends who have a shared commitment to honoring senior living,” said Myers ."Because of our donors, we have furthered our mission of bringing quality and dignity to the lives of seniors for the past 39 years … and allowed us to grow in ways that exceed expectations and address critical needs ."

The evening’s dinner — flowering smoked salmon blooms with a caviar-filled golden egg, and a choice of either branzino or sliced tenderloin — ended with a La Vacherin dessert featuring a raspberry rose, a culinary nod to character Rose in "Gypsy" and the role for which LuPone won her second Tony. (Her first was for "Evita" and her third was for "Company.")

After dessert, LuPone took the stage accompanied only by her pianist and began the intime performance with personal anecdotes.

“My mother bought albums from the check-out counter at the Long Island A&P store,” said LuPone, “and ’Ed Sullivan Presents … ’ was my introduction to musicals.”

She then reached into a top hat and pulled out the titles to perform, including hits from "Evita," "Sweeney Todd," "Cats" and "West Side Story," as well as standards including "Moon River" and "Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries."

Or, on this night, raspberries.

More than 400 people attended. Proceeds from the evening assist MorseLife in its mission to improve the lives of seniors through innovative and compassionate health care, housing and supportive services.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Patti LuPone shows Palm Beach crowd why she has 3 little friends named Tony