Every art form excites its own emotional response in audiences, but for sheer exhilaration there’s little to top the thrill of seeing a heart throb pop star in full flight.
Over the years, our iconic building has rung to the sound of fans’ screams as they welcomed to our stage the likes of Michael Jackson, Wham!, Duran Duran, Ant & Dec and Culture Club. To that list we must also add US pop deity David Cassidy who played Poole on 24 September 1985 on a tour to promote a top 10 single, The Last Kiss. That it featured backing vocals from his close friend, Wham!’s George Michael, can’t have hindered its progress and David – who at the height of his fame in the 1970s was the highest-paid entertainer in the world – was met by a frenzied crowd of fans old and new prompting the Bournemouth Echo reviewer to note the “raw Cassidy mania”.
Such things live long in fans’ memories so when the David Cassidy Group of Great Britain set out to create a UK Legacy Trail in honour of their hero, they took advantage of the Lighthouse Name a Seat sponsorship package to ensure a little part of our Concert Hall will be forever associated with David Cassidy.
On a recent visit to Lighthouse to see the plaque, the group’s founder Sharron Liddle said: “David performed at this venue in September 1985 and although I was not fortunate enough to see him on that occasion, this visit felt like a wonderful chance to see the theatre for myself, to honour him, and to remember him at one of the stops on our group’s UK Legacy Trail to keep his memory alive.”
Sharron enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour with Jonathan Smith, Lighthouse Friends and Individual Giving Executive, who showed her the dressing rooms, took her on stage and pointed out the unique moving floor system in the Concert Hall.
“During our visit we also met a lovely lady,” Sharron added. “Although she didn’t get to see David perform at this venue, she was a huge fan – just as her sisters were too! It was so special to share stories and our love for him with someone who has carried that same admiration for so many years.”
In the face of rising costs and pressure on funding, Name a Seat plaque sponsorship is just one way that people can support Lighthouse and its work, including:
- The Network Schools programme, which has already given more than 23,000 pupils from 29 local schools the chance to experience the arts;
- Nurturing local artists and helping young people starting out in careers in the arts;
- Bringing creativity, learning and wellbeing to people of all backgrounds; and
- Helping make performances fully accessible and comfortable for people living with disabilities and additional needs.
To find out more about Name a Seat plaque sponsorship at Lighthouse, please contact Jonathan Smith at jonathan.smith@lighthousepoole.co.uk or on 01202 781309.
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