Irreverent comedian Denis Leary will headline an upcoming event benefiting breast cancer research, treatment and education programs at City of Hope. “The Best Medicine,” a night of comedy and music, will feature an array of popular comics and musical artists.
Fellow comedians Martin Short and Bobcat Goldthwait, the band The Knack and cast members from the Fox TV series “MadTV” will join Leary and his band, The Crown Royals, at the event. “The Best Medicine” will be held at the 500-seat Malibu Performing Arts Center in Malibu, Calif., at 7 p.m. on Sept. 29.
“I pretty much make fun of everything, even cancer. But this disease is brutal,” said Leary, star of the FX television drama “Rescue Me.” “We have to do whatever we can to find an answer for it.”
Leary got involved in the project through his connection with Lauren Dombrowski, a breast cancer survivor and City of Hope patient. Leary and Dombrowski, co-executive producer for “Mad TV,” both attended Emerson College in Boston and have remained friends.
While Dombrowski has long made people laugh, in 2003, her life took a serious turn. She arrived at City of Hope with stage 4 breast cancer after two years of failed treatments elsewhere. George Somlo, M.D., co-director of City of Hope’s Breast Cancer Program, became her trusted physician.
“I knew right away that Dr. Somlo would give me the best care available,” Dombrowski said. “But it was his quick wit and ability to make me laugh that really helped me the most.”
Today, Dombrowski does not fight cancer simply through the chemotherapy she continues to undergo regularly. She came up with the idea for “The Best Medicine” as a way to battle the disease and support breast cancer research through humor, her area of expertise.
In addition to stand-up acts and music, the event will feature a silent auction of celebrity items such as sheet music from the band Aerosmith and autographed guitars.
Platinum-level tickets cost $275 (includes cocktail party with performers, preferred seating and after-party), gold-level tickets cost $150 (cocktail party and preferred seating) and silver-level seats cost $75 (performance only). Platinum and gold tickets may be purchased through 310-456-6722, ext. 103, while silver tickets are available through Ticketweb by clicking here. Children under age 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
