Patrick Cassidy to Bring Father Jack to Life in New Show

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post this morning that Patrick Cassidy is at work on a new piece about his father, the late musical actor Jack Cassidy, who died in an accidental fire at the age of 49. The younger Cassidy is developing a one-man show about Jack, with the help of some of Jack's old friends, including Hal Prince and John McMartin.

While known in public as a dynamo who "firmly believed in living beyond his means," behind closed doors Jack struggled with depression.  To read Riedel's full report, click here.

Jack Cassidy's frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay. Cassidy perfected this character to such an extent that he was cast as the legendary John Barrymore in the feature film W.C. Fields and Me. The role of the vain, shallow, buffoon-like newsman Ted Baxter on TV's The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) was written with Cassidy in mind.[1] However, Cassidy turned down the role, feeling that it was not right for him, and the part went to Ted Knight. Cassidy later appeared as a guest star in a 1971 episode as Ted's highly competitive and equally egocentric brother, Hal.

Patrick Cassidy's first starring television role was in 1981 in the cautionary NBC movie Angel Dusted. In 1983, he starred in Bay City Blues as a baseball player in the minor leagues. In 1986, he played a West Point cadet in Dress Gray (for which he received an Emmy Award nomination) and appeared in the holiday TV movie Christmas Eve with Loretta Young. He had a small but pivotal role in the Ryan O'Neal gambling opus, Fever Pitch. In 1988, he starred in the television series Dirty Dancing, based on the film. Two years later, he starred in Longtime Companion about an actor battling AIDS. In 1994, he appeared in the films I'll Do Anything and How the West Was Fun with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. In 1997, he had a recurring role on TV's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and had another Superman-related recurring role a few years later as the biological father of Lana Lang in Smallville. He co-starred alongside his half-brother David in a 2009 ABC Family comedy series entitled Ruby & The Rockits created by his brother Shaun. On stage, Cassidy played Frederic in the 1981 national tour of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance before taking over the role on Broadway in 1982. Cassidy's next Broadway role was Jeff Barry in the Ellie Greenwich jukebox musical Leader of the Pack. In 1990, he originated the role of The Balladeer in Stephen Sondheim's Assassins at Playwrights Horizons. In 1993, Cassidy starred as Bobby opposite Carol Burnett in a Los Angeles production of Sondheim's musical Company. In 1995, he portrayed John Wilkes Booth in the Los Angeles Repertory staging of Assassins. In 1998, he was Macheath in an L.A. production of The Threepenny Opera; he was nominated for the Garland Award for Best Actor for his work in the role. In 1999, he played the title character in a national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In 2000, Cassidy co-starred with Cheryl Ladd in Annie Get Your Gun on Broadway. In 2001 he played Radames in the national tour of the musical Aida; he won the 2002 National Broadway Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Touring Musical before bringing the role to Broadway in 2002. In 2004-05 he was back on Broadway in 42nd Street as Julian Marsh playing opposite his mother as Dorothy Brock.