David Cassidy on the Web
David Cassidy's The Rat Pack is Back Opens Dec. 12
October 29, 2005
broadwayworld.com
The swinging performers of The Rat Pack will return to New York in The Rat Pack is Back: A Legendary Era Returns at the The Supper Club (240 West 47th Street). Starring Michael Civisca as Frank Sinatra, Julian Rebolledo as Dean Martin, Mark Cohen as Joey Bishop and Eric Jordan Young as Sammy Davis Jr. the show will play previews from November 17th through December 10th, for an opening on December 12th.
Directed by David Cassidy and with a book that he co-wrote with Don Reo, the show will also feature Cassidy as Bobby Darin. Produced in association with Rachlin Entertainment and Dave Clemens, The Rat Pack is Back will feature the renowned 15-piece Supper Club Big Band.
"They were arguably the four sexiest men in the world; certainly the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. They were the new film idols, recording czars and the powerful magnate who attracted millions and millions of people to Las Vegas where they helped pave the casino floors in platinum. They were so beloved and embraced by western civilization, the world referred to them only by their first names, a custom theretofore reserved solely for royalty. Some referred to their kingdom as a worldwide corporation of talent with their own Chairman of the Board. Their names were Frank, Sammy, Dean and Joey," state press notes.
The show is set during one imaginary martini-drenched night (December 12, 1961 - Frank's 46th birthday) during which the foursome perform and celebrate on stage in Las Vegas. Their relationship with the blues is as sensually intimate as is their white-hot obsession with jazz. The songs they are singing are theirs; they have made them internationally famous -- "Luck Be a Lady Tonight, "One for The Road," The Lady is a Tramp," "What Kind of Fool Am I," "The Lady is a Tramp," Mr. Bojangles," "Birth of the Blues," "Volare," "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You." The show's dancing and humor is as legendary as it's songs are. Their friend and protégé is a rock idol named Bobby. He joins the celebration and serenades the birthday boy with some of his hits including "Mack the Knife and "Beyond the Sea."
The Rat Pack is Back opened at The Desert Inn in Las Vegas on July 18th, 1999 playing to sellout audiences for one year. It then moved to the Sahara Hotel & Casino on Saturday, March 25th, 2000 where it was a hit for the next three years. This is the first time the tribute to the legendary foursome will be seen on a New York stage.
Cassidy hails from a theatrical family that includes mother Evelyn Ward, his father Jack Cassidy, stepmother Shirley Jones, and brothers Shaun and Patrick. He made his Broadway debut in The Fig Leaves Are Falling. A TV talent scout offered him a screen test in L.A. which led to him being cast immediately in TV shows such as "The Mod Squad." In a very short time, he landed the pilot for "The Partridge Family" in which he was able to embellish his musical talent as well as gain more experience as an actor. The show's success was immediate which led to numerous Grammy and Emmy Award nominations, several gold and platinum and #1 records around the world, as well as concerts in 17 countries for a 5 year span.
He returned to the theatre in regional productions of Tribute, Voice of the Turtle, the national company of George M. Cohan's Little Johnny Jones, Jesus Christ Superstar, and starred in the title role of the original Broadway production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. On London's West End, he was the lead in Time. During this period of time, he was nominated for an Emmy for Best Dramatic Actor for the telefilm "A Chance to Live," a two-hour episode of "Police Story." Cassidy returned to the stage to star in Blood Brothers on Broadway, then on the West End, followed by a tour of the U.S. and Canada. He has written themes for television including the "John Larroquette Show," as well as multiple songs recorded by other successful artists such as Cher and Heart. In the last decade, he has appeared in numerous TV shows and produced "Ask Harriet" (Fox), which he also created. He has written for several other shows as well. He and brother Shaun re-wrote the MGM Grand's EFX in which he starred. He then partnered with Don Reo and created At the Copa, which he headlined.
The show's performance schedule is Monday through Saturdays, with doors opening at 6:30 PM. Dining and dancing begin promptly as the 15-piece Supper Club Big Band conducts and underscores the evening until The Rat Pack takes the stage, which happens more than once throughout the night.
Tickets are $60, and dinner and drinks are a la carte as priced. For reservations, call Telecharge at 212-239-6200.
