David Cassidy on the Web
The ups and downs of David Cassidy
Monday, Jan. 17, 2000
By John Katsilometes
Las Vegas Sun
http://mobile.lasvegasun.com
Oh, David. David, David, David.
A sequined example of how to provoke a shift in public sentiment, David Cassidy has been covertly rehearsing for his new Rio show, "David Cassidy at the Copa, Co-Starring Sheena Easton."
The production, as the title trumpets, features Cassidy with Miss Sugar Walls herself. It opens Tuesday at the Copacabana Showroom. Exactly what patrons paying $58 per show will be treated to is almost as big a mystery as how Easton's "Morning Train" hit No. 1 in 1981.
When the show was first announced in September, Cassidy vaguely said it would be a somewhat autobiographical depiction of his career. Then, last week, the Rio released a thin outline of the plot: It's a love story of sorts. Cassidy plays a character named Johnny Flamingo (hey, better than Johnny San Remo), while Easton portrays Ruby Bombay (isn't that a mixed drink?).
This show cries for some Barry Manilow: "Her name was Ruby, she was a showgirl. But that was 30 years ago, when they used to have a show. Now it's a disco, but not for Ruby, still in the dress she used to wear, faded feathers in her hair ..."
Cassidy himself hasn't offered much detail. He's been busy spending 12 hours a day rehearsing for the performance. Let's hope all those hours haven't been spent solely on nailing down the elusive note-perfect version of "I Think I Love You," or auditioning rhythm-challenged 7-year-old girls to play the tambourine.
Of course it's not entirely fair to take swipes at a show not even yet in full production, and not long ago such cynicism directed at Cassidy would've been misplaced. He drew positive reviews after replacing Michael Crawford in "EFX" at the MGM Grand, and tapped into a deep well of Las Vegas nostalgia with "The Rat Pack Is Back," a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop at the Desert Inn.
But the "Rat Pack" show created a stir among "old school" Las Vegas entertainment figures. Representatives of more established, rival performers began grumbling about Cassidy's grandiose (but apparently legal) representation of the legendary quartet. Cassidy added to the strife by bounding on stage from time to time as Bobby Darin and singing "Mack The Knife."
It was a dead-on, crowd-pleasing tribute, but cynics asserted that Cassidy was merely adopting the Darin persona to shoehorn himself into the show.
Finally, Tina Sinatra (Frank's oldest daughter) took in the show herself and, while complimentary of the performance, swiftly decided to seek compensatory damages for trademark infringement. In a lawsuit still gaining steam, Sheffield Enterprises (the licensing company owned by Sinatra's children) and Sammy Davis Jr.'s widow, Altovise Davis, have filed a lawsuit against the D.I. for trademark infringement (Las Vegas attorney Mort Galane, representing both parties, has issued depositions to two public relations firms that worked on the show, as well as a dozen or so D.I. employees).
For Sheffield to win in court, Nevada laws protecting similar tribute acts would have to be rewritten. Not likely. But I'm not sure the entire point of the Sheffield lawsuit is to gain money from the D.I.; rather, it might be to take a shot at Cassidy for hijacking the Rat Pack's image.
For an entertainer trying to make Las Vegas a permanent home, becoming entangled with Frank Sinatra's siblings would seem to be an ill-advised move. Meanwhile, the fate of "The Rat Pack Is Back" remains in limbo. The D.I., which originally made tentative plans for the show to return this month, is booked through March. Rumors of the production resurfacing at the Sahara (rumored to be one of the hotels bidding for Cassidy's services before the Rio landed him) haven't been confirmed.
Away from Las Vegas, Cassidy's image was tarnished through a couple of regretful TV movies. The first, in December, was "Come On Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story," which did not bear Cassidy's fingerprints (little-to-lose Danny Bonaduce backed that project). The second was the Cassidy-blessed "The David Cassidy Story," skewered for what critics deemed a self-indulgent script. Cassidy again threw himself into the production, singing a duet with "himself," played by Andrew Kavovit, at the movie's conclusion.
Um, why?
More than anything, the two projects unintentionally served to remind viewers that "The Partridge Family," which at times made "Gilligan's Island" seem positively cerebral, is best left to memory. And that show is the centerpiece to any Cassidy biography. For someone who wants to ditch "Keith Partridge," exhuming "The Partridge Family," in any form, was a bad idea.
But Cassidy is no stranger to reinventing himself. He's almost in Cher's class. Maybe he's crafting one of Las Vegas' most riveting production shows, positioning himself to go toe-to-toe with Danny Gans, Siegfried & Roy and even The Wayner for Las Vegas entertainment supremacy.
One thing for Cassidy to consider: Forget "The Rat Pack Is Back." It's a fine show, lots of fun, but probably more trouble than it's worth. Tina, Mort & Co. show no signs of pulling back from their lawsuit, which can only mean more unwelcome publicity for Cassidy (and, indirectly, the whole Rio production, including the innocent Easton).
Cassidy, too, should remember to utilize his considerably magnanimous personality in public. He's typically a very friendly guy, not the person who shouted "Shut up!" to a room full of guests at a Lied Children's Museum black-tie dinner in October (wisely, Cassidy later apologized in writing). Fewer self-inflicted wounds and continued philanthropy from he and wife Sue Shifrin-Cassidy would greatly help the Cassidy cause.
For Cassidy, the landscape is familiar. He's at a turning point in his career, but he's been there before. This guy's been waging comebacks for most of his adult life.
