Highly Anticipated Concert Will Also Feature Marianne Faithfull, Duffy, Madeleine Peyroux, Angelique Kidjo, Patricia Kaas, Alex Hepburn, Beth Ditto, Olivia Ruiz, Charles Dumont, Camélia Jordana, Jean-Louis Aubert, Zaz, Coeur de Pirate, Nolwenn Leroy Harry Connick, Jr. has joined the star-studded, international lineup of artists performing Edith Piaf songs September 19 at the Beacon Theatre. The concert marks both the 50th anniversary of Piaf’s passing and the American debut of France’s premier music festival, Francofolies. You can watch a teaser trailer here. Harry Connick, Jr. is a rarity among artists—one who is extraordinarily celebrated in music, film, television and theater. He has garnered three GRAMMY Awards, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Award nominations, induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and numerous other awards, and has sold over 28 million albums. In addition to being a singular interpreter of songs, he is a distinctive songwriter. His new album, Every Man Should Know, comprises twelve originals for which Connick wrote music, lyrics and arrangements. Columbia Records released the album to critical acclaim on June 11. People called the album “impressive,” and The Boston Globe called it a set of “his most thoughtful and personal songs to date” and “an album that every Harry Connick, Jr. fan should own.” Reviewing a live performance in July, The Chicago Tribune wrote, “Harry Connick, Jr. achieves a personal best.” Other artists interpreting Piaf’s songs on September 19 include Marianne Faithfull, Duffy, Madeleine Peyroux, Patricia Kaas, Angelique Kidjo, Alex Hepburn, Beth Ditto, Olivia Ruiz, Charles Dumont, Camélia Jordana, Jean-Louis Aubert, Zaz, Coeur de Pirate and Nolwenn Leroy. An orchestra of French and American players will back them. Charles Aznavour will preside over the evening. Tickets, which are selling briskly, are available via Ticketmaster.com, Beacontheatre.com, charge-by-phone at 866-858-0008, and in person at the Beacon Theatre box office (2124 Broadway). Since its inception in 1985, in the historic French coastal town of La Rochelle, Francofolies has grown to be one of the country’s—and indeed, one of Europe’s—most popular and acclaimed music festivals. In addition to drawing audiences of approximately 100,000 to concerts spread over five days in La Rochelle, the festival has expanded internationally to include editions in Belgium and Quebec. Morgane, the France-based producer of Francofolies, is co-producing Francofolies New York,the first American iteration of the festival, with The Agency Group and Metropolitan Entertainment. The concert at the Beacon Theatre, the centerpiece of Francofolies New York, will be filmed for a primetime special on France 2, the major national French TV network. The festival will also include two private evenings of music, on September 20 and 21 at The Standard, East Village, as part of the hotel’s Standard Sounds series. About Francofolies in La Rochelle, France Jean-Louis Foulquier established Francofolies, the first festival for contemporary Francophone music, in 1985 in the city of La Rochelle, on France’s West coast. Over the course of three decades, Francofolies in La Rochelle has presented 2,800 artists and organized more than 160 days and nights of concerts This summer (July 12-16), Francofolies will hold its 29th annual festival in France which, offering a stunning variety of free and ticketed concerts on eight stages. Since its creation, the festival has been consistently innovative and beloved, a favorite of both audiences and critics. Francofolies is a destination for music lovers and tourists from around the world: Argentina, Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Japan and elsewhere. Organizers launched editions in Quebec (Francofolies Montreal) and Belgium (Francofolies de Spa) in 1989 and 1994, respectively. This fall marks Francofolies’ American debut. For more information, please visit www.francofolies.fr. About Morgane Three friends—Gérard Lacroix, Gérard Pont and Claude Bertrac—launched the production company Morgane in 1992. Originally, Morgane devoted its efforts to producing cultural documentaries and live performances. Morgane has rapidly become a leader in audiovisual production and event coordination. Today, the group is made up of 14 subsidiaries that produce a variety of content: magazines, entertainment, documentaries, youth programs, animation, short programs, feature films, video clips and more. Francofolies is the company’s long-running production and its most successful endeavor to date. For more information, please visit http://www.morgane-groupe.fr/. For more information, please contact Blake Zidell at Blake Zidell & Associates, 718.643.9052 or blake@blakezidell.com.