Arts Entertainment
Plenty Of Rhythm
COMPANY
Manhattan Rhythm Kings sing, dance and play
their way onto Detroit's Orchestra Hall stage.
BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News
D
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Observer
According to the dictionary, "meshuggah"
means crazy or foolish, but what does
Webster know from Yiddish?
"6 Eccentric
1“1. 10%.l
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half price! Wed, Thurs & Sun nights.
MBT RATING: Suitable for middle-school age and older
etroit's Orchestra Hall will
be dripping with pop nos-
talgia April 3-6 when the
Manhattan Rhythm Kings,
featuring Hal Shane, a veteran Jewish
musician and hoofer, will put on five
performances of American popular
music from the 1920s-1940s as part of
the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's
Tops of the Pops series with guest con-
ductor Erich Kunzel.
Formed 23 years ago, the Kings have
gained a large and enthusiastic nation-
al following while performing with 67
symphony orchestras. With the help of
cruise ship appearances, they have
reached audiences on six continents.
The trio frequently has been corn-
pared with such old-time musical
greats as the Mills Brothers and Paul
Whiteman's Rhythm Boys, but the
Kings have established their own
unique character with a combi-
nation of close harmony singing,
virtuoso instrumental work and
skillful tap dancing.
The group chose its moniker
because it suggests early jazz
groups like the Rhythm Boys and
Rhythm Aces, who specialized in
three-part harmonies, Shane
points out.
"When we put Manhattan in
front of it, that made it special," he
said.
Before the Kings hit the Orchestra
Hall stage after intermission, Kunzel,
renowned for his pops work, will lead
the DSO through birthday anniversary
salutes to three classical music masters:
Hector Berlioz (200th), Johann
Pachelbel (350th) and Aran
Khatchaturian (100th), followed by
tunes from Irving Berlin, Cole Porter,
Duke Ellington, Shelton Brooks and
Kurt Weill.
Playing an impressive array of instru-
ments, the Kings will cover everything
from "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," as part
of a 1920s medley, and "I'm My Own,
Grandpa" to "The Jitterbug," a pro-
duction number cut at the last minute
from The Wizard of Oz, and an exten-
sive Gershwin medley.
The Kings were featured in
Broadway's three-time Tony Award-
winning Gershwin musical Crazy for
You and on national television in
PBS's Emmy-Award-winning
Celebrating Gershwin.
In addition to Shane, members of
the Kings include Brian Nalepka of
New York City and Marc Kessler, of
Lambertville in southeastern Michigan,
who came aboard almost three years
ago, replacing Tripp Hanson who got
tired of traveling. Shane, who hails
from Far Rockaway, N.Y., joined the
group in its second year.
To attract attention, the trio origi-
nally began singing on the streets of
New York "because we had no place to
go and not enough of an act to do a
club set," recalls Nalepka. "Our most
popular spot was at 74th Street and
Columbus Avenue."
Admirers of dancers Fred Astaire, the
vaudeville team of Honi Coles and
Cholly Atkins, and Broadway favorite
Tommy Tune, the Kings credit Tune
with giving them a major break when he
"My travel pace
really got hectic after
I became a King."
36 months
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— Hal Shane
invited them to collaborate on a night-
club act built around 35 Astaire songs.
Travelin' Man
Shane, 55, has been performing since
age 4, when he started taking dancing
lessons then learned to play the piano
and trumpet.
He might have acquired some show
business traits from his .mother, a
retired synagogue secretary who was a
part-time actress and comedienne, and
an uncle who was a concert pianist.
His father, now deceased, worked in
New York's garment district.
Shane had a traditional Jewish
upbringing and celebrated his bar mitz-
vah in Far Rockaway, although he says
the family never was very religious.
"My parents were always very support-
ive of my show business career and that
made it a lot easier for me," he said.