David Cassidy in the News
'At the Copa' at Rio to close in January
December 1, 2000
By Mike Weatherford
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Cassidy to play out contract with at least 30 concert dates
David Cassidy's "At the Copa" will close at the Rio in January, and he will play off the second year of his contract with Harrah's Entertainment Inc. performing concerts at other Harrah's properties. Cassidy and Rio President Jay Sevigny announced at a Thursday news conference that Cassidy will perform at least 30 dates for the company's 21 casinos next year.
The current show, produced by Cassidy, will close in the Copacabana showroom Jan. 21. The singer will return to the Rio next Thanksgiving weekend for concerts in the Samba Theatre. Cassidy said he wanted to spend more time with his family and pursue pending offers for both a major-label recording contract and a low-budget movie.
"My eyes are often bigger than my stomach when it comes to work," he said. "It's wonderful to be out onstage for 90 minutes" with the nightly show, "but the other 22 1/2 hours a day are very, very difficult."
The future of the 10-month-old "At the Copa," a Broadway-styled musical in which Cassidy and Sheena Easton portray nightclub singers, was uncertain after it became apparent last month that Easton would leave the show.
Cassidy addressed news reports of a fallout with the Scottish pop singer by telling reporters there was "never a problem with any of my work mates" and that he "never yelled and screamed at them."
He did serve notice to the "Copa" cast -- which includes three principal roles, five dancer-singers and an 18-piece band -- after Wednesday's show. And the singer recently performed concerts, which are cheaper to produce than the stage show, at Harrah's properties in Laughlin and Atlantic City, N.J.
The 50-year-old former teen idol and "Partridge Family" star moved to Las Vegas in 1996 to star in "EFX" at the MGM Grand. He also co-produces "The Rat Pack is Back" at the Sahara.
Sevigny said no decision has been made about a replacement show in the Copacabana.
