David Cassidy In The News
Cassidy finds a home on casino stages
March 28, 2001
The Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada)
David Cassidy has grown by leaps and bounds.
Since his days as America's teen idol while star of the "Partridge Family" television show from 1970-74, he's had ups and downs, emotionally, financially and artistically.
But Cassidy, in his late 40s, is doing swimmingly, immersed in new projects.
He's writing music with his wife of 11 years, songwriter Sue Shifrin-Cassidy. He's enjoying his 8-year-old son, Beau. With partner Don Reo, he's put together a show, "The Rat Pack is Back," that is still running in Las Vegas. He performed in the semi-autobiographical show "David Cassidy At the Copa,"
In 1999, Cassidy released an album, "Old Trick New Dog." He plays March 30-31 at Harrah's Tahoe.
Cassidy has gone through some periods of adjustment since "Partridge Family" days. But these periods have matured him and given him a chance to establish himself in different areas of show business, he told the Gazette-Journal in 1999.
Having proved himself a successful actor and vocalist on television and after establishing himself as a stage actor in "Blood Brothers" and "EFX," a major production at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Cassidy can look back at his days on "Partridge Family" with a new perspective. He has come to terms with the rocky times that followed "Partridge Family," when short of money, he lost his ranch and saw two marriages fall apart.
Cassidy began to find work in theater, appearing in "Blood Brothers" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on Broadway and in "Time" in London. He received an Emmy nomination for the television drama "A Chance to Live."
"What people don't realize is that my career actually started on the stage," Cassidy said. "My parents were actors - my father (the late Jack Cassidy) was in 45 Broadway plays during his career. So I grew up with it. And I was performing in the L.A. Theater Company before 'Partridge Family' started."
Cassidy was performing in the musical drama "Blood Brothers" in Toronto in 1995 when Richard Sturm, MGM entertainment director, contacted him to gauge his interest in taking over the "EFX" lead when and if Michael Crawford chose not to continue when his contract expired.
Cassidy flew to Las Vegas and took a look at "EFX." He was impressed by aspects of the show but concerned about others. He felt the music wasn't contemporary enough and found the treatment "dark." He said he would be interested in the lead if substantial changes could be made in the music and story.
When Crawford was released from his contract early because of a groin injury, Cassidy rushed to Las Vegas after closing in "Blood Brothers" Sept. 7, 1997.
With help from his brother Shaun, Cassidy put in 15-hour days during the next few weeks revamping "EFX" with new music, a new story and new choreography. The revised show opened in early November 1997.
"It's a very difficult show physically," he said. "Before my contract expired, I knew I couldn't renew it." Besides wanting to move on to new projects, Cassidy needed foot surgery and was often in pain while performing in "EFX." The surgery was successful but took months to heal, he said.
