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King Henry and the Showmen)
During the thirty some years that this talented group has been together, King Henry & The Showmen have become the Poconos' premier show group, and one of the East Coast's favorite bands. They have recorded over thirty-five albums, and have developed a huge and loyal fan base.
King Henry & The Showmen began their professional careers back in the late 1960's when they became the house band and opening act at Mount Airy Lodge in the Poconos. For 20 years, they performed there with most of the top stars in the business, including Tony Bennett, The Four Seasons, Al Martino, Jerry Lewis, and Connie Frances. During that time, King Henry & The Showmen were asked to perform in concert in Carnegie Hall. Their sold-out concert there led to appearances in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and at leading nightclubs around the country. In 1985, King Henry & The Showmen left Mount Airy Lodge and moved to Tamiment Resort, a hotel that was owned by Wayne Newton at that time. The group performed there nightly until 1991, when they moved to The Mountain Laurel Resort. It was during their years at The Mountain Laurel Resort when King Henry combined with Pocono Day Shows to produce and market a regularly scheduled luncheon show, geared towards motor coach tour groups. The show, King Henry's POCONO MOUNTAIN OPRY, became an immediate success. In 1997, King Henry opened his second regularly scheduled luncheon show in the quaint tourist town of Jim Thorpe. Now each year, Henry presents two different productions in Jim Thorpe at Penn's Peak, the Poconos' premier showplace. Today, King Henry & The Showmen are more popular than ever. Besides starring in luncheon shows, their recent appearances included performances at The West End Fair, The Allentown Fair, Westbury Music Fair, Knoebels Park, and The Atlantic City Hilton. All the members of King Henry & The Showmen are accomplished musicians as well as talented singers and entertainers. Together, they present a unique style of entertainment that can be found nowhere else. King Henry is the leader of the group. He sings, plays many different instruments, and writes the different shows. Gary Dee (DiPasquale) plays guitar and banjo, and is the featured performer in the many comedy routines. Along with Henry, he is also a featured vocalist. The third member from the Lehigh Valley is saxophonist, Frank Russo. Frank is one of the best in the business, having previously performed with popular bands all around the county. The remaining two members of the group are Roland Krause who plays trumpet and trombone, and is the featured performer in many of the show's musical numbers. John Richetta, from the popular Tempo Italiano radio program heard every Sunday on AM1470, is the drummer. His experience as a musician extends back over thirty years when he performed with his own group, Tower Suite. Also, as a featured performer in the King Henry shows is Joe Colarusso of Allentown, PA. Joe has over thirty years of experience in the entertainment business and is a multi-talented musician who plays guitar, banjo and trumpet in the King Henry & the Showmen shows. Don Mickel, of Phillipsburg, New Jersey, who is an accomplished saxophonist, is also a part of King Henry & the Showmen during the show performances. During 2007, Pocono Day Shows and King Henry are concentrating just on writing and performing first-class fun shows. They are leaving the marketing and selling of the shows to others. King Henry & The Showmen will be appearing during the year at Penn's Peak and Fernwood in the Poconos, where as many as 600 bus tours travel each year to see their popular luncheon shows. This talented group will also be appearing at other places around the region, including performances in Connecticut, Pittsburgh, and Atlantic City. www.kinghenry.biz |
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