Love Is All That I Ever Needed. Chapter 26. On Broadway Again.
Kay’s career also slowed down. In April 1978 she was making a film in Europe, and David
visited her on the set and Kay surprised him with a birthday cake.
The film, ‘Passage’, in spite
of an impressive cast, was a disastrous flop. Suddenly Kay had not as much work as she used
to have, and only on television.
They still attended events together but it was obvious that
something changed.
In the photographs Kay didn’t smile anymore. Sometimes David looked very tired or perhaps he had been drinking too much. Their marriage was on the rocks.
David
wrote in his book that for Kay her career was more important than he was. That was not the
whole truth. He was also to blame. Women were still following him..
In August 1979, they at last worked together. But it was not in a movie that had been
mentioned in interviews a few times at the beginning of their marriage bliss. It was at the
summer theater. In a World War I romance, ‘The Voice of the Turtle’.
It was David’s first stage
appearance since his Broadway debut in 1969. Some reviews appeared and it was noticed
that in the audience there was palpable excitement because of David, and that he was a skilled
actor.
“David Cassidy gives a smooth performance but despite his age, the part still comes across
with the little of the college kid in him.(..) He plays particularly well and in good stage
equilibrium with Miss Lenz, his wife off- stage.’’
It was financial problems which finished their marriage. At the end of the 70s, they began
speculating in Southern California real estate. In 1980 they not only lost everything, but found
themselves in serious debt. David, who in 1974 thought that he would have no money
problems for the rest of his life, managed to lose $8,000,000 within 6 years.
In 1981 notes appeared that David Cassidy and Kay Lenz after a marital estrangement of
several months were reportedly talking about the divorce. They separated. It was another blow
for David. He felt guilty and unhappy because of the failed marriage, the loss of Kay’s love
and first of all of her friendship.
In 1980 David really needed work. Any job available. He appeared twice on TV shows
produced by Aaron Spelling, ‘Fantasy Island’ and ‘Love Boat’. Both series featured many old,
forgotten has-beens as guest stars.
He played a cop in another David Gerber’s production, in
a TV film about a big city blackout, ‘The Night The City Screamed’. It was quite a decent drama
with a very impressive cast. As Officer Greedy David had a mustache and was in need of slimming
down a little bit. He wasn’t in good shape in 1980.
Only when he smiled he resembled the
one who just a few years back was called one of the most beautiful boys on Earth.
In an act of desperation he went to see with the head of his agency ‘William Morris’. They
earned just enormous money when David played concerts in the 70s. They didn’t need to do
much effort then but in 1980 they barely answered his phone calls. At last, they found something
for him. It was like getting a chance to start again and return to the beginning. The title role in
one of the most iconic American musicals, ‘Little Johnny Jones’.
Wrote by the legendary George M. Cohan in 1904, the musical was inspired by the
adventures of Tod Sloan, an American jockey who had gone to London to take part in the
English Derby. In the 40s a famous film version was made, called ’ Yankee Doodle Dandy’, with
the unforgettable James Cagney’s role.
It was a huge challenge for David, but also an
enormous chance for a fresh start and a possible return on Broadway. He must have thought
that if he hadn’t played Keith Partridge and a teen idol, he could have become a Broadway
star long ago.
He was working very hard with a choreographer, a vocal coach, and had tap lessons. Just a
few days before the premiere David fractured his toe, but he was determined (against doctor’s
advice) to perform.
The premiere was on May 1, 1981 at the Los Angeles’ Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion. David appeared on some popular TV talk shows promoting ‘Little Johnny Jones’ and
singing live some songs from it.
There were very mixed reviews. It seems that the early 80s weren’t the best time for that show.
In many interviews it was called aged, racist and dull.
Some critics liked David’s performance
saying that he was pleasant in the role and an enthusiastic performer. That David could sing,
but he wasn’t good enough, and, of course not James Cagney.
David toured with the show until October 24. He spent 6 months on the road with a very dear
friend. The best he ever had. Sam Hyman had many problems too and no money, so he worked as
David wardrobe assistant. It wasn’t easy. There were 8 shows a week, and Sam said that one
thing hadn't changed a bit since the 60s, David still had problems with waking up in the
morning.
He didn’t perform on Broadway. Next year when David was replaced by Donny Osmond, the
show toured again, but it was closed just after one Broadway performance.
A critic Scott Fosdick put it best: ‘It’s a slick mixture of vaudeville, operetta and Fourth of July
jubilee. It’s just, well, kind of dull.’
Fans didn’t forget David. Some were following him and even came from Europe to watch him
on stage, in ‘Little Johnny Jones’. The same was in 1982 when he performed in a play called
‘Tribute’, at the Stage West Dinner Theatre in Calgary, Canada.
David was there for two summer
months, and co-starred as Jud Templeton. It wasn’t an easy role for him. The play was about
Scottie Tempelton, a show business veteran. He was divorced from his wife and estranged
from his only son, Jud. Scottie learnt that he had leukemia and was dying but his son still was
angry with him.
The play was written by The Partridge Family creator, Bernard Slade who in the 70s became
a very successful playwright. He didn’t forget David and wanted to help him.
Calgary Sun
wrote: ‘Cassidy’s whole performance is masterfully understated. He’s truly a gracious actor,
never once stepping outside his character. This is a serious actor working with and for his costars.’
David appeared on some Canadian TV talk shows. We also know that he took his bicycle to
Calgary. Sam Hyman came there too, and they were camping together. Also Evelyn Ward and
some fans from his fan clubs visited him in Canada.
In 1982 something else happened. At the party before the race, and David still had horses, he
met Meryl Tanz. Again. They met for the first time at the horse sale, in 1974, when David was
still a reigning teen idol. She was four years older than him, from South Africa, and married. He didn’t make an impression at the time, surrounded by his entourage. In 1980 Meryl divorced
her much older and very wealthy husband and she took with her their 5 year old daughter.
David
wrote in his book that she was looking for a new love. And she found it.
In 1983 David Cassidy recorded a very special audiobook released on cassettes. There were
seven stories for children written by C.W. Anderson. The stories were about a young boy, Billy
and his loyal pony, Blaze. David read them with love and emotion. It’s truly a magical
recording. He probably knew those books from his childhood because the first one was
published in 1936.
1983 was much more successful for David. He appeared on three TV series. Once more on
Fantasy Island in an episode called ‘Songwriter’. The action took place before World War I,
and probably ‘Little Johnny Jones’ was an inspiration for it.
The second TV series was ‘The
Tales Of The Unexpected’ and David played twins whose uncle was murdered by one of them.
The title - ‘The Heir Presumptuous’.
The third, ‘Matt Houston’ in an episode called ‘Joey’s
Here’, David played a genius constructor again suspected of murder. He looked very
handsome, mature but still very boyish, with short, much lighter, dyed hair, he started graying
before 30.
But first of all in 1983 David returned on Broadway in a big style, playing the title role in ‘Joseph
And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, a musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and
Tim Rice in 1968.
It was originally written as a 25 minute pastiche for the junior school choir
and was almost entirely sung-through and very family friendly. That production of ‘Joseph’ had
run on Broadway at the Royale Theatre (now Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre) since January 1981.
David took the role in March 1983, (after Andy Gibb). He played Joseph until September and
later toured the USA and Canada. The musical was very popular, and there were plenty of
reviews about a former teen idol comeback.
‘Cassidy has learned his profession well. He has a pleasant, if not remarkable voice, more
than adequate for the part of Joseph. But with a flashing smile and good humor, he has an
undoubted stage presence. He knows how to work the audience.’ Or : ‘The show has a stellar exponent in David Cassidy, whose Joseph could be described as The
Sex Symbol that went down into Egypt. I’m sure the dreams he inspires are much easier to
interpret. (..) Cassidy sings beautifully and he throws himself into the show.’
One critic, Tom Carter, noticed something really interesting : ‘Cassidy is a strong Las Vegas style performer with a voice to match his stage presence.’
‘Joseph’ was David’s great success. He was invited to many TV talk shows, was a presenter
at The Annual Tony Awards, and last but not least was chosen as the best dressed stage
persona by the Fashion Foundation of America in 1983.
In May that year, a long article about David was published in People Magazine. About his life,
the teen idol days, the new role, and his new love, Meryl Tanz. David commented on the
difference between the relationship with her and with Kay. “Kay had her own life and I had different needs. It’s taken till I started seeing Meryl for me to feel I had an anchor in my life.’
And a serious anchor it was. They jointly owned a 35-acre Santa Barbara spread called
Clairmont Farm. They had a breeding and racing business involving about 60 thoroughbred
horses.
There were two photographs with David and Meryl in that article. One was a very posed photo in Central
Park, and David on it looked much younger than his fiancee. She had beautiful eyes and
expressive beauty, was slim and David's height.
On the second pic, with one of their horses,
both of them were smiling, and David looked very boyish. They shared the same ambition - to
win the Kentucky Derby. David said that Meryl was loving, open and volatile..
The fans from
David’s fan club didn’t like Meryl, and they nicknamed her ‘The Ice Queen’
1984 brought another stage role. This time it was not a light musical for kids. It was one of the
most challenging parts he ever performed. Written again by Andrew L. Weber and Tim Rice,
‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.
It was written as a rock album in 1970. The musical debuted on
Broadway a year later, and the film was made in 1973. At the time David Cassidy was one of
the few known singers considered for the title role in the movie.
11 years later, at the age of
33, he appeared as Jesus in the Kansas City Production.
The rock opera ‘Jesus Christ
Superstar’ was performed there from August 6 to August 12, at the Starlight Theatre.
It was an enormous task. Starlight Theatre is a 8,000 seat outdoor venue in Kansas, one of
the biggest of that kind in the USA. There were 150 people in the cast and an orchestra. For
David it was a great challenge, first of all vocally.
After the premiere Robert W. Butler wrote -
‘Mr Cassidy’s singing voice was slightly strained in the tortuous and frequent falsetto
passages, but for the most part nicely negotiated the tricky score and was quite magnificent
on ‘Gethsemane’. He also risked his life and limb in the startling crucifixion scene’.
David hoped for a tour with ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, but nothing came of it. It probably was
for the best, the role was so demanding that he had to cancel some radio appearances,
because he couldn’t speak.
Comments
Post a Comment