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 Tickets start at just $19! MBT BOX OFFICE: (248) 377-3300 THE ECUMENICAL NUNSENSE! By Dan Goggin GROUP DISCOUNTS: (248) 370-3316 MICHIGAN EXCLUSIVE www, M btheatrescom The Newest Nunsense Musical Directed by Dan Goggin Co-sponsored by. Meadow Brook Theatre Guild Observer According to the dictionary, "meshuggah" means crazy or foolish, but what does Webster know from Yiddish? "6 Eccentric 1“1. 10%.l COUPLES NIGHT! Buy one ticket, get second 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 1 X050 Down #1 In Sales & Service 6 Years Running 49 1 51 Grand River Ave. at Wixom Rd. 71; LINCOLN 3/28 2003 74 e Mercury , 248-305-53(X) WWW.varsitylinettiere.eutn ()pen Saturdays S:30-5:00 -mils tax anti ail rebates to ticalo - Includes liiyaity rebat-us. 36,000 mile elosed-end lease — 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.