David Cassidy on the Web
David Cassidy at Harrah's for one-nighter
November 1, 2000
www.laughlinentertainer.com
When it comes to riding the bumpy wave of success, David Cassidy has been there, done that. From heady days as a teenage heartthrob in the 1970s to a more reclusive career in the "80s, Cassidy has known his share of ups and downs.
But these days he's enjoying a quite comfortable ride, thank you... and it is flavored with the sweet taste that comes from success of his own making.
Cassidy has found a new playground in the fertile show biz soil of Las Vegas. From his original appearance on the Strip in 1996 as the star of the MGM Grand's "EFX," and a run with the Las Vegas retro revue "The Rat Pack Is Back," Cassidy has become something of a toast of the town. He has earned numerous awards, new fame and self-respect. He currently performs with his co-star Sheena Easton in his semi-autobiographical show "David Cassidy At The Copa" at the Rio All-Suite Casino Resort.
This coming Sunday, Nov. 5, he makes a 90 mile venture south to make his first Laughlin appearance with his show at Harrah's. In a recent phone interview, Cassidy said he took the gig because he wanted to mix a little business with pleasure.
"I'm trying to view the future with a little less emphasis on work and more on relaxation," he said. "I've been at it non-stop for eight years. I'd like to have more time to enjoy things everyone else enjoys...such as the World Series and the Breeder's Cup.
"I'm looking forward to Laughlin," he said. "I wanted to come down, because I've heard good things about the outdoor amphitheater ... how beautiful it is, how beautiful Harrah's is.
"I'm bringing my band, most everybody in the show, my light people, my sound people. I'll be doing some stuff from the Rio "Copa' show ... also some of the old stuff, and some of the really new stuff. It's gonna cook. We'll have 22 pieces on stage. It's gonna be a big, big, slammin' thing. It will be a totally different menu, doing different things we can't do at the Rio. We'll have a new set...and I'm anxious and excited."
Cassidy's life finally seems to be going the direction he wants after tumultuous success at an early age. The son of actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward, he became a pop star after appearing with his stepmother, Shirley Jones in the television show The Partridge Family, from 1970-1974. The show was based on the singing group, the Cowsills. Almost from the beginning, the Partridge Family began adding up hits in their own right, such as "I Think I Love You," "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," and "I'll Meet You Halfway."
During the same time, Cassidy launched his own solo career, with chart-toppers like his version of the Association's "Cherish." He also enjoyed wide success in England.
It didn't take Cassidy long to become disenchanted with the "bubble gum" image so he chose to leave the business at the height of his fame, taking time to reinvent himself ... to discover what was important to him.
"When I returned to work, I specifically chose not to compete with my earlier fame," he said.
In 1982, he tackled Broadway playing the title role in a long-running revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Two years later, he took over the leading role from Cliff Richard in Dave Clark's stage musical, Time. In 1993, he was cast with step-brother Shaun Cassidy and veteran singer Petula Clark in Bill Kenwright's ailing New York production of Willy Russell's gritty musical, Blood Brothers. This trio's performance stopped the show's otherwise imminent closure, and David Cassidy recreated the role of Mickey in subsequent productions of Blood Brothers in the West End, and on US and UK regional tours.
In 1996 Cassidy's next major assignment was on a somewhat larger scale, taking over the lead from Michael Crawford in the high-tech musical "EFX" at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. He's been breaking attendance records ever since.
He's thrilled that the success is, at last, about his work.
"I think it's wonderful," he states. "I'm fortunate that people want to come here to see me ... families, moms and dads, who have grown up with me ... which is phenomenal. Few in my business have enjoyed the longevity and I don't take that lightly. I had never taken for granted the people who have supported me over the years.
"They've seen my work on Broadway, in theater, films, television, even my days with The Partridge Family ... they've stayed with me and it's been a great journey, I have to say, both personally and professionally.
"I think ultimately they see the work. They know you're successful and famous, but it's really about the work. If you produce good, quality work, people will come to see it. I've always tried to keep the integrity and put out work I'm proud of ... it's entertainment ... we get them to laugh, we get them up and moving."
The best part of all is being taken seriously as an artist and musician.
"The fame isn't something I sought, and the money isn't the driving force ... it's all about the work," he explains. "When I get acknowledged for my work it feels like the best. It's more than I could ever have asked for."
Cassidy has written, arranged and co-produced the music for his current show, which confirms his reputation as one of the hardest working performers in the business. However, success has it's price when it comes to juggling family obligations.
"My priorities are family and work," he states. "My family has understood the demands that the work places on me ... following me from California to New York, London, and all over the United States. Being in Vegas the last four years has been great. We're in a great location, I can go into L.A. to see family. It's all about trying to find balance."
What keeps Cassidy grounded above all else is his sense of humor.
"I have the ability to laugh at myself," he states. "I don't have a lot of time for people who don't make time for laughter. To make people laugh is a joy and I consider myself lucky. And anyone who doesn't get that is pretty sad.
"I'm not terribly complex or complicated. I try to be straight-forward with integrity as a person. Even as a teenage star I saw myself as a very positive role model and I continue to put the kind of work on stage and film that brings light into people's lives."
Those lights go up this Sunday at 6 p.m. at the outdoor amphitheater at Harrah's Laughlin.
