David Cassidy on the Web
What's eating David Cassidy?
November 15, 1996
By David Renzi
www.lasvegassun.com
I think he loved it, the roast chicken from Wolfgang Puck.
I liked the irony: A man devouring a bird being devoured himself.
What's eating David Cassidy is "EFX." Not eating him in the figurative sense, which would imply irritation. And Cassidy is far from irritated.
He's delighted to be here -- in Las Vegas overall, at the MGM Grand in general, in his dressing room specifically, where he's eating his dinner and discussing the thing devouring him.
That would be the show formerly starring Michael Crawford, who made his debut in March 1995 and his departure in August because of a "hip injury." The MGM hired Cassidy to replace him in September, and he's been hard at work since.
In the days leading up to his premiere last Friday, in fact, Cassidy, cast and crew worked 15-hour days. And it isn't over yet.
"We've got a lot of work to do," he says.
The reason is the show itself. Although it is still "EFX" in name, it is nearly gutted in content. There is new music, a new story, a new character and new choreography, each implemented to reflect the personality of the new star.
Cassidy, the former "Partridge Family" member, was performing in the musical drama "Blood Brothers" in Toronto in 1995 when MGM Entertainment Director Richard Sturm contacted him to gauge his interest in taking over the "EFX" lead.
Along with Donny Osmond and John Stamos, Cassidy's was one of the names being mentioned as early as May as a possible replacement for Crawford, whose contract was to expire in March 1997. At the time, Crawford's agent, Mort Viner, said his client would fulfill the life of the contract.
MGM officials confirmed that the hotel had interviewed other talent, but only as a stopgap in the event Crawford didn't return after his contract expired. Publicly, they were touting his continued appearance.
"Michael Crawford's contract will eventually run out," Jack Leone, the MGM Grand's vice president of communications said in May. "We have looked at various possibilities for replacement if indeed there is an ending of his contract. It's prudent upon us to look for potential replacements down the road. Please don't read into that that Michael Crawford is leaving the show."
Cassidy says he had heard the powers that be at the MGM were not entirely satisfied with "EFX," hearsay which bore out when they flew him in to see it.
"Richard Sturm and I had dinner and talked about the show," Cassidy explains. "He had seen me in 'Blood Brothers' on Broadway (in 1993) and asked me could I do it, would I do it. What was my take (on the show)?"
He had mixed feelings.
"I told him I was wowed by a lot of it and that a lot of it I didn't understand. I felt the musical direction was not contemporary enough. It was dark. I didn't understand why they wanted to do something so dark."
He agreed to do it, but only if substantial changes could be made in the music, story and atmosphere.
"I wanted to make it upbeat and energetic," Cassidy says. "I wasn't criticizing anybody, I was just saying my preference is this. 'If this is the direction you're interested in going, then I'm very interested. If not, carry on the way you're going.'"
He apparently got his wish, for Crawford's departure paved the way for Cassidy. He finished "Blood Brothers" on Sept. 7 and flew to Las Vegas three hours later to start work on a new "EFX."
Cassidy says he was originally slated to take over in 1997, but that Crawford's injury moved up his arrival date. That in turn pushed up everything else (writing, choreography, set design) in an effort to stage a show without downtime. Based on Wednesday night's performance, the sixth with Cassidy, you would never know to look at it that this is a work in progress.
Cassidy would have preferred to wait until all the pieces were in place -- he estimates a third are now -- but felt he didn't have the luxury with a hotel production show.
"It would be one thing if we were talking about theater and you said to the producer or director, 'You know, this scene isn't working the way we want it to,' or 'This show isn't working the way we want it to. Let's rewrite and we'll be up in a week.'
"But we're dealing with a corporation here that has public shares and stockholders the company has to answer to, not just producers. At least that's my take on it."
Nevertheless, the show will have a hiatus from Dec. 5-22 while all the changes are made.
Cassidy, who actually sings the songs (his predecessor used vocal tracks), says MGM has been "very supportive" of him and the changes he's wanted to make.
"To this point, they've done exactly what they said they would do."
Musically, the production is moving from Don Grady's original score to Bill Wray's. Wray has written songs for Little Feat, Loverboy and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and produced records for Diana Ross. Wray's association and Cassidy's friendship with Little Feat led to the band lending its talents to the Wray-penned "Intergalactic Circus of Wonders," a song in the show's fifth act.
Although the first 15 minutes are largely the same as the Crawford version -- the recorded voice of James Earl Jones remains as the "EFX" Master -- the ensuing 75 is a complete reworking.
Cassidy describes his character as "everyman," a working-class guy who's been disillusioned and disappointed -- he's lost his girl -- and is trying to get his life back together.
He is assisted in the process by a quartet of otherwordly figures, who transport him to different times and involve him in different adventures in an effort to make him see and correct his mistakes. It's "EFX" meets "A Christmas Carol."
One thing that hasn't changed is the show's namesake, and Cassidy is well aware of what he's up against.
"When the audience sees a special effect, the reaction is overwhelming," he says, thrusting himself back in his chair as audience members do in theirs. "In order to get them back, you have to draw them in."
He'll be working on it indefinitely.
