Tommy Tune's STEPS IN TIME To Be Featured at Broadway Benefit Gala

Friends In Deed has tapped Tommy Tune's brand new road show, STEPS IN TIME, for their one-night-only Broadway Benefit Gala that will take place at The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College tonight, September 21st at 8:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit Friends In Deed - The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness.

STEPS IN TIME is a critically praised Broadway Biography in song and dance. Written, directed and choreographed by Mr. Tune, the road show will make its Manhattan premiere tonight. The multi-talented Manhattan Rhythm Kings will back-up Mr. Tune throughout an evening traveling through the legendary song-and-dance man's 50 years, his golden anniversary, in show business.

One of the most prolific theatre men of the Twentieth Century, the critics have hailed Tommy Tune. Entertainment Weekly has said: "Tune takes vibrant charge the second he struts on stage." Liz Smith says "I love Tommy Tune. Spectacular! Brilliant!" and Variety has raved "Tommy Tune is the quintessential Broadway song and dance man." The Washington Post has reported that "Mr. Tune is at the head of the class Acts. Watch, listen and learn" while The Washington Times calls an evening with Tune "a tour-de-force."

TOMMY TUNE - STEPS IN TIME, A Broadway Biography In Song and Dance, plays Monday, September 21st at 8 p.m, The Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College, 899 Tenth Avenue (between 58th & 59th Streets).  $500 Premier VIP Seating, which includes admission to an after-party, is currently available by calling (800) 996-5433. $250 VIP Tickets (which also include the after-party) and $100 tickets are available through TicketCentral.com, (212) 279-4200 or at Ticket Central box office, 416 West 42nd Street, noon to 8pm daily. Proceeds from this one-night-only event benefit Friends In Deed - The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness. For more information and updates visit www.FriendsInDeed.org.

Known as one of the most prolific theatre men of the Twentieth Century, Tommy Tune has enchanted audiences over the past 50 years with his charisma, vision, and innovation. A native Texan, Mr. Tune began his career as a dancer in the Broadway shows Baker Street, A Joyful Noise, and How Now Dow Jones. He would soon step out of the chorus and into a principal role in the Broadway musical Seesaw, which garnered him his first Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Less than a decade later, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in My One and Only. However, Mr. Tune's talents were not limited to his onstage performances. Throughout his career, he would go on to win an additional seven Tony Awards, four for Best Choreography (A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, Grand Hotel, My One and Only, The Will Rogers Follies) and three for Best Direction of a Musical (Nine, Grand Hotel, The Will Rogers Follies), bringing his total to an unprecedented nine Tony Awards. In addition, his talents have been recognized by receiving eight Drama Desk Awards, three Astaire Awards, and the Society of Directors and Choreographers' George Abbott Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Arts, the country's highest honor for artistic achievement. Mr. Tune's talents extend beyond the stage, however. His film credits include Hello Dolly, The Boyfriend, Mimi Bluette, Fiore Del Mio Giardino, and Hollywood Blvd. He has been honored with a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Throughout his career he has toured extensively in productions of Irma La Douce, Seesaw, Tommy Tune Tonight, My One and Only, Bye, Bye, Birdie, and his act with the Manhattan Rhythm Kings. Most recently, Mr. Tune directed the new musical, Turn of the Century, at the esteemed Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The show, slated for Broadway, was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice of Jersey Boys fame. This year, Mr. Tune marks his 50th year in show business.

Known for their polished performances of American popular music from the ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s, the Manhattan Rhythm Kings 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. From there these song and dance men graduated to playing some of the Big Apple's top nightspots before going on to headline in concert halls in all 50 states. It was their sparkling combination of song and dance that first attracted the attention of Tony Award-winning Broadway director/choreographer Tommy Tune, who eventually asked the Rhythm Kings to collaborate on an act based on songs written by Fred Astaire. The widely-acclaimed show commanded standing ovations everywhere from Carnegie Hall and Atlantic City's Trump Plaza to the most famous concert halls in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. In 1992 the Manhattan Rhythm Kings were back on Broadway, this time indoors, at the Shubert Theatre, where they originated the roles 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. Reuniting with Tommy Tune 10 years later, the Kings helped the renowned director create another song and dance review, White Tie and Tails, featuring the music of such Broadway icons as Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Harry Warren, debuting in New York City's newest 42nd Street theater, the Little Shubert. Since their modest beginnings as street buskers, the Manhattan Rhythm King's have become symphony pops concert favorites, performing 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. Over the years, the Manhattan Rhythm Kings have shared the stage with Bob Hope, George Burns, Leonard Bernstein, Judy Collins, Bette Midler and Gregory Hines as well as Garrison Keillor on his live radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion." They have also appeared at Radio City Music Hall with the Rockettes in Peter Allen's Easter Spectacular. On the recording front, the trio has performed with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks on the soundtrack of the Martin Scorsese Oscar-nominated film The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Founded by Mike Nichols and Cynthia O'Neal in 1991, Friends In Deed -- The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness -- has helped transform many thousands of lives through a wide array of free programs and services. Friends In Deed provides emotional and spiritual support for anyone diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening physical illnesses. Support is also available for family, friends, and caregivers of those who are ill, and anyone dealing with grief and bereavement. All services are free of charge. For more information, visit www.friendsindeed.org or call 212.925.2009.