Known for their polished performances of American popular music from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, the Manhattan Rhythm Kings, (Hal Shane, Marc Kessler and Brian Nalepka), have gained a large and enthusiastic following across the country.  While frequently compared with such musical greats as the Mills Brothers and Paul Whiteman’s Rhythm Boys, the trio has established a unique character of its own with a combination of close harmony singing, virtuosic instrumental work, and spectacular tap dancing.  The Rhythm Kings started performing together on the sidewalks of New York in 1980.  From there, these song and dance men graduated to playing some of the Big Apple’s top nightspots.

    It was their sparkling combination of song and dance that first attracted the attention of Broadway’s Tommy Tune.  In 1984 Mr. Tune asked the trio to help him assemble an act based on songs written by Fred Astaire.  Their collaboration continues today and the act has performed together in venues as diverse as Carnegie Hall and Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza, and a tour of the former Soviet Union, where they commanded standing ovations in Moscow, Tiblisi, and St. Petersburg.

    The King’s are favorites at symphony pops concerts and have performed with over 80 orchestras, including the Boston Pops, the National Symphony, and the orchestras of Baltimore, Detroit, St.Louis, Cincinnati, Seattle, Indianapolis, Dallas and Pittsburgh, among others.

    The Rhythm Kings have made numerous appearances on television, most notably Evening at Pops with John Williams, Tommy Tune and the Boston Pops, as well as the Emmy-award winning Celebrating Gershwin with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.  In addition, they’ve starred in their own special for Nebraska Public Television, and were featured with Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony on their PBS special.  Other TV credits include The 1992 Tony Awards, the Today show, CBS, This Morning, The 1992 Kennedy Center Honors Awards, Entertainment Tonight, As the World Turns, as well as several appearances on the The Charles Grodin Show.

    The Manhattan Rhythm Kings have shared the stage with Bob Hope, George Burns, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Collins, Bette Midler and Gregory Hines.  They also appeared at Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes as part of Peter Allen’s Easter Spectacular.

    In 1992 the Rhythm Kings were back on Broadway, this time indoors, at the Shubert Theatre. They were featured as Moose, Sam and Mingo, a trio of crooning bumpkins in the “new” Gershwin musical Crazy for You, winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography.

    This past season the Kings kept a busy concert schedule, performing concerts with orchestras in Seattle, Detroit and Grand Rapids, among others. The group was featured at the Kennedy Center with Leonard Slatkin and the National Symphony Orchestra, along with Michael Feinstein and Patti Lupone. The King’s concert in Stowe, Vermont marked the 50th state the group has performed in.

    The Manhattan Rhythm Kings are proud to have performed with Tommy Tune in their latest song and dance review, “White Tie and Tails”, inaugurating New York City’s newest theater, the “Little Shubert”, on 42nd St. To quote John Simon of New York Magazine, “90 minutes you fervently wish would never end!” The 2003-2004 season will see the King’s touring with Tommy Tune, in addition to concerts with orchestras in Jacksonville, Providence, and Costa Mesa (CA), among others. A European tour is also in the works. To keep up to date with what’s going on, visit the Kings Online at www.mrkmusic.com