David Cassidy on the Web
Cassidy in EFX top role
September 11, 1996
www.lasvegassun.com
David Cassidy, who won the hearts of teenyboppers in a 1970s' TV sitcom, will have some from pretty big shoes to fill when he replaces an ailing Michael Crawford in the "EFX" show at the MGM Grand.
The Strip resort reportedly was to announce today that will replace Crawford, who has been out with a hip injury since Aug. 15.
A hotel official said Cassidy could be performing in the show by early October.
Cassidy auditioned for the show earlier this year and has said in a televised interview that he plans to move to Las Vegas to star in a major Strip show.
The phone number for the Michael Crawford Fan Club had a lengthy tape-recorded message this morning, noting that the star of the musical hit "Phantom of the Opera" could not attend a recent club fund-raiser in Las Vegas because of his ailment.
The tape-recorded message made no reference to his apparent departure and was still promoting a trip to Las Vegas for Crawford's birthday performance Jan. 17-20.
MGM officials told the SUN recently that they had been interviewing other talent for the show's starring role.
Among those rumored to be up for the plum part were Cassidy, Donny Osmond and John Stamos, a television actor whose previous Las Vegas experience was playing drums with the Beach Boys.
Cassidy, 46, skyrocketed to stardom as a teen rock 'n' roll idol on the hit ABC sitcom "The Partridge Family," which ran from 1970-74.
Cassidy played singer/ guitarist Keith Partridge, and his real-life stepmother, Shirley Jones, played Shirley Partridge, the single-parent leader of the tuneful clan that traveled to concerts aboard a rickety psychedelic bus.
EFX was launched specifically with Crawford in mind in 1994. Considered a mega-talented performer in his field, Crawford is contracted with the show through March 23, plus time added on for the shows he has missed since mid-August and will miss while Cassidy is filling in.
Crawford has recorded more than 500 performances in "EFX."
