TINSELTOWN SPYWITNESS.

Byline: Jenny Peters

ABSOLUTE ABBA: It was a night that brought out the best of old and new in the Hollywood galaxy, as ``Mamma Mia!'' returned to Los Angeles for a seven-week run, this time at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The huge cool theater was a welcome respite from the sudden heat wave that hit Los Angeles last Sunday; a sweating opening night crowd pushed inside, but once everyone got seated, the cool air and the music of ABBA soothed even the most cranky breast.

Jayne Meadows, John Raitt, June Lockhart, Rose Marie and Peter Falk represented the oldies but goodies at the celebrity-packed opening night. The still gorgeous Loni Anderson and Lindsay Wagner were also in attendance along with Dwayne Hickman and Ed Begley Jr.

Ricki Lake, Constance Marie, Chris Caldovino and sexy Natalie Raitano enjoyed the all-singing, all-dancing show based on the music of the Swedish pop sensations of the '70s.

``Wow, they all have such energy,'' marveled actress Sally Kirkland, whose odd Indian-inspired outfit (right down to the forehead dot) evoked stares as the curtain came down to a rousing ovation.

Energy was also abundant at the pulsating after-party held a few blocks away at Joseph, where the happy cast convened to celebrate.

Chilina Kennedy, Craig Bennett, Gary Lynch and Colleen Fitzpatrick (in an ill-advised and very weird-looking striped and flounced skirt) all seemed very pleased to join Donna Mills and Sharon Lawrence in sipping Absolut cosmopolitans and filling up on salmon, lamb chops and stuffed chicken bites as the party raged well into the late hours.

A WORTHY GAMBLE: As the sun set on a perfect day at the beach in Santa Monica, charity-minded Westsiders converged on the Fairmont Miramar Hotel to take part in the 30th Annual Gala Fundraiser benefiting the Westside Family Health Center.

The festivities began with a cocktail party and silent auction, where items from a Chuck Jones animation cel to a magnum of Grgich Hills Chardonnay and weekend trips to Vegas were offered up.

``Less Than Perfect'' star Sara Rue, one of the first celebs to arrive at the gala event, bid on a variety of items, along with her husband Mischa Livingstone.

The long-standing event is a fund-raiser for the center, a place where Westside families without insurance can go for health care. On Saturday night, supporters of the worthy cause came out to give their dollars at faux gambling tables, where blackjack, craps, and roulette were played with reckless abandon, despite the fact that all the proceeds went to the charity.

Actually, every chip got the winners a raffle ticket for a Tiffany necklace or a weekend getaway, so it wasn't all just for fun and giving after all.

Jon Cryer hosted the raucous festivities, running the live auction in ``a game show announcer's voice'' and garnering nearly $4,000 by offering up two luxury vacations to the well-lubricated crowd. We spotted Jason Isaacs, Julie Dreyfus (``Kill Bill - Vol. 1'') and ``George Lopez'' stars Constance Marie, Valente Rodriguez and event chair Belita Moreno whooping it up at the gaming tables.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) FITZPATRICK, MILLS: How Swede it is.

(2) KIRKLAND: Are we in Bollywood?

Lester Cohen/WireImage.com