David Cassidy in the News
We Still Love You, David Cassidy
September 19 - October 2, 2000
By Donna Yahner
What's On in Las Vegas
There's no business like show business . . . ." This must be the subliminal mantra David Cassidy hears in his dreams. Former teen idol Cassidy once again shows his mettle by writing, producing and starring in "David Cassidy At the Copa," appropriately playing in the Rio's Copacabana Showroom. His co-star is the sultry Sheena Easton, whose gold single hit, "Morning Train," hit No. 1 on the charts and stayed there for two weeks in 1981.
The plot is simple and timeless, and in this case carries us back to that much-romanticized era of svelte crooners, fast money and dames in their finest glory.
His name is Johnny Flamingo (Cassidy), a singing waiter hoping to make it big at the notorious Copacabana nightclub in New York. Johnny gets his break when the current headlining heartthrob gets done in at the hands of a babe with a grudge. Naturally, Johnny is a sensation and falls for Ruby Bombay (Easton), the resident golden-voiced femme fatale. The feeling is mutual (now, here's where the plot thickens). Ruby has her job because she's the boss' girlfriend.
The corrupt Copa boss, Lefty, cares only for money and power. He gruffly warns Johnny to stay away. But lovers never heed warnings or threats, and their undoing is that of every tragic love story every written.
Lefty catches on to Johnny and Ruby's budding romance and has Johnny seduced by one of his girls. The timing is perfect for Ruby to walk in on one more heartbreak. She shuts Johnny out and Lefty gives him the shaft.
Johnny drowns himself in booze to blot out the pain. When he pulls himself out of the gutter, his only ambition is to fix the injustice wrought him and find Ruby.
Enter Beaumont, the fat man comic relief, marvelously played by Stewart Daylida, who keeps us laughing at all the right moments throughout the show. He sets Ruby straight on the story. Soon Johnny catches a date with fate as he meets Ruby in the street, and the star-crossed lovers reunite in a blaze of passion.
It's in bad taste to reveal the ending so you'll have to see the show for yourself to find out what happens. There's a twist to be sure.
Cassidy has worked hard to make his show into a hit. Easton is superb as the ill-fated Ruby Bombay. Every song she sings is a thriller, even those famous songs of her own like "Morning Train" and "For Your Eyes Only." She carries the torch a blazing in "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" and the sultry "Fever."
Cassidy deserves lots of kudos for bringing in a supporting cast of outstanding singers and dancers, along with the top-notch Lon Bronson and his 18-piece orchestra. For those of us who've tired of canned music, we applaud David Cassidy's insistence on the concept of quality. Ditto for bringing in Rick and Tammy Pessagno and their jazzy choreography.
That leaves Cassidy himself. As the earnest good guy Johnny Flamingo we catch the nostalgic beat as he sings those larger-than-life hits like "Mack the Knife," "Lazy River," "That Old Black Magic," and in duet with Easton, "My Kind of Town." Of course, for his long-ago fans there's "I Think I Love You" and "I Woke Up in Love This Morning." As he makes his way through the audience, his diehard fans swoon.
But we also get to see a few glimmers of someone else there, too. It's Cassidy, the actor, who reveals someone more complex and full of irony than we've ever seen before. It's this facet of Cassidy who really catches our eye. We look forward to seeing more.
SHOWTIMES: Wed.-Sun., 8 p.m., Tue., 7 & 9:30 p.m.
SHOWROOM: Rio's Copacabana Showroom
SHOW PRICE: $58, 702-252-7776
