OAKLAND, Calif.--The stars indeed came out for the "Stars to the Rescue X" benefit for the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), founded by St. Louis Cardinals baseball manager Tony LaRussa. Saturday's show (1/20) at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland featured performances by Michael Bolton [ tickets ], Richard Marx [ tickets ], Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, K.T. Olsen, Dennis DeYoung, Carolina Lugo's Brisas De Espaņa and the Oakland Ballet.

DeYoung performed two sets--one of Styx hits with the house band led by saxophonist Marc Russo, and the other of original music he composed for the pop-opera adaptation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." DeYoung and LaRussa evidently go back a long way, as DeYoung recounted meeting the then-youngest manager in baseball in the late '70s, when LaRussa managed the Chicago White Sox.

"I walked into the clubhouse," DeYoung explained, "and said, 'Tony LaRussa!' He turned around and yelled, 'Dennis DeYoung!' And we've been friends ever since." DeYoung was among the first musicians to perform for the Animal Rescue Foundation.

Likewise, Tom Johnston and Richard Marx rolled out the hits in their rapid-fire sets. From the Doobie's "China Grove" and "Long Train Runnin'" to Marx's "Endless Summer Nights" and "Waiting For You," the performances were stellar, albeit informal. Marx sarcastically chided the audience before breaking into "Waiting," "Now, those of you who want to sing along--don't. Because you'll ruin it."

Marx also teased the audience when he mentioned he recently penned a song for the group 'NSync, which received a lackluster response. "No, I know they're a lot more popular than that."

The capper, Michael Bolton, surprised everyone by approaching the stage from the back of the center aisle, while soulfully crooning "Georgia On My Mind." He went on to perform "When a Man Loves a Woman" and an Italian aria.

The Grammy-award winning vocalist, who is very active in various philanthropic endeavors, didn't mince words when discussing his involvement with ARF. "The best thing about being a celebrity is that you can just show up somewhere and bring attention to a cause, and what Tony has built in the last ten years with the Animal Rescue Foundation is very important," he said.

Among the celebrities attending the $35 to $300 a seat event were U.S. Olympic soccer hero Brandi Chastain, former Oakland A's Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Raider coach John Gruden, San Francisco 49er coach Steve Mariucchi, and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Riensdorf.

On a Bay Area level, ARF serves as the lead agency for a collaborative effort by Contra Costa County animal rescue organizations, public shelters and local veterinarians to develop a five-year strategy to end animal over-population in the region. Nationally, ARF provides the same tools to other communities.