Patrick Cassidy, the sexy, largely shirtless star of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” was deep into one of the musical’s most important songs – the ultra-serious “Close Every Door” – when he was completely upstaged.
By a nose picker. Who also happens to be his youngest son.
“When we started the tour my youngest, Jack, had just turned 7,” said Cassidy, 44, who will perform with his wife, Melissa Hurley, and his sons – Cole, 10, and Jack – when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph” plays at the Orange County Performing Arts Center this week (the boys will appear only on opening night). “Jack is really tall for his age, but his focus and attention span aren’t that great yet.”
At first, Cassidy’s boys were a little nervous about their first acting gig in “Joseph’s” children’s chorus.
“When we started they both looked like deer in the headlights out there,” Cassidy recalled. “But they got used to it. Jack is starting to yawn on stage now.”
After a recent performance, Cole revealed to his father that yawning wasn’t his kid brother’s most serious thespian infraction.
“He said, ‘Dad, he was picking his nose during your big production number!’ We both had a big laugh over that.”
Such episodes are typical of the joys, tribulations, hazards and tedium of life on the road as a family. Over the past year, the four-member Cassidy clan has been traveling with “Joseph” as it traversed America, experiencing all four seasons in far-flung parts of the nation.
When Cassidy first suggested the plan to his wife, she wasn’t exactly enthusiastic.
“I was like, ‘Oh, no! Not again,’ ” Hurley said. “We had tried this before about six years ago; the kids traveled with us while we performed. I wasn’t too thrilled by the prospect this time around. They were ensconced in school; they were happy.”
The challenge was made more complicated because the Cassidys decided to sell their Los Angeles home before embarking on the tour. “Not only did I have to pack for a year, I had to pack up an entire house,” Hurley said.
She instituted some strict rules, which paid off.
“We had one toy bag and one book bag. Actually, they really handled that well. They’re old enough where the toys are Game Boys. And they really started to read a lot more.”
‘Educational sightseeing’Though Cassidy and Hurley were concerned about pulling their boys out of school, private instruction on the road proved surprisingly beneficial for their education, the parents agreed. The family travels with a nanny who doubles as a tutor.
“It’s really been great for my oldest,” Cassidy said. “After his last year (in school) he needed some one-on-one to get his English and math in line. (The tutor) turned out to be a real blessing.”
“We made educational sightseeing a goal in every city,” Hurley said. “We would research each town with the tutor. That was our main goal. We’ve done 45 cities in a year, and we managed to integrate most of them into the teaching with day trips and field trips.”
That’s an admirable achievement, considering “Joseph’s” brutal schedule. Though the boys appear in a maximum of half of the show’s eight performances a week, there’s little down time between cities. Monday is travel day, which means packing must take place with lightning speed on Sunday after the evening performance.
“The hardest part is travel day,” Cassidy said. “We have 12 pieces of luggage and five people, including the nanny. To get on a bus, arrive at the airport, fly to the next town, unpack, shop and get some semblance of a life, all between Sunday night and Tuesday night, is tricky. Sometimes the travel days last 18 hours.”
Cassidy comes from a famous showbiz family – his mother is Shirley Jones, he’s the brother of Shaun Cassidy and half-brother of David Cassidy – and this isn’t the first time he’s appeared on stage with family members. He and his mother starred together in “42nd Street” on Broadway last year. But he has refrained from giving his sons any advice about the business. Cassidy’s famous mom took a different tack, he recalled.
“When I was growing up, prior to my making the choice (to be an actor) my mother’s advice was, ‘Don’t do it!’ I think she did everything she could to talk us out of the business. She wanted us to understand the hardships: You can go years without a steady paycheck; there’s no security in it, especially as you get older. But once we all decided to be actors, she was very supportive.”
So far, Cassidy’s sons haven’t been bitten by the acting bug like he was. And the hard-working actor is just fine with that.
“I’m completely relieved, to tell you the truth. If they decide that’s what they want to do, I’d give them anything to help. But I want to open their minds to other possibilities and vocations.”
In the meantime, the Cassidys are enjoying the last of their road experience before they leave the tour and begin a new life in Las Vegas. Their travels had an unexpected benefit: lots of face time with relatives.
“It’s a great way to see the whole extended family in a year,” Hurley said.
“In each city somebody from my family or (Patrick’s) would come and visit, whether it was an uncle or sibling or distant cousin. We saw more of our folks in a year than we ever would have if we’d stayed at home.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com
