Michele Lee made her celebrity friends part of her recent show at 54 Below.
Between songs one night, the singer and actress introduced Liza Minnelli, who told the crowd she would watch from the wings of “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” as Lee performed in that show — “but only because she had her eye on a young chorus boy in the show!” Lee piped up.
Lee then acknowledged Clive Davis, a pal since her early days at Columbia Records. Lee thanked Davis for signing her nephew Ryan Dusick’s band Maroon 5 to his label. Dusick was the original drummer but had to leave Adam Levine and the rest of the band a few years ago when he injured his shoulder.
During her funny, Norma Desmond-like nod to CBS’ “Knots Landing” — in which Lee starred for 14 years — she thanked former CBS Television Broadcasting Group President James Rosenfield “for making me very rich!”
Joining the laughter were Sandra Bernhard; Tony-winning producer Daryl Roth (“Kinky Boots,” “August: Osage County”) and her husband, NYC real-estate mogul Steve Roth; and radio personalities Jim Kerr and Carol Miller.