She confided that her life had taken a different direction than she thought it would as a young performer headed for Broadway.
She got there, but she hated New York and ended up in Las Vegas, where she "hung" with the Sammy Davis Jr., whom she called Mr. D, and had her first "dirty martini," mixed by Dean Martin.
"But dreams that don't come true are sometimes the best," Burgess Rosen said.
The best change in direction in her life, she said, was the birth of her son, Noah, who was in Saturday's audience.
Her pregnancy was unexpected, discovered in the middle of rehearsals for an early "Lagunatics," which required some hasty revisions. Fans may remember Burgess Rosen singing and dancing as a mommy-to-be in search of the daddy.
"I never thought I could raise a child to be other than an axe murderer, and, lo and behold, he's this really cool kid," Burgess Rosen said, dedicating a song to him.
She also dedicated a song to her husband, Leon Rosen.
"I get these calls from friends at 2 a.m., saying 'Have I got a song for you,' and they are always about trashy whores — hello, I have been happily married 20 years and he's right here," Burgess Rosen said. "That's one job I wouldn't want."
Burgess Rosen also acknowledged Barbara and Ed Gazich, who provided the gowns the diva wore for the concert: a short, black, beaded sheath, which showed off those legs, only seen on dancers in high heels, and a form-fitting, full-length red dress that weighed at least 20 pounds.
"And I want to thank Sande [St. John]," Burgess said. "She's there for everyone."
