By Francine Brokaw February 18, 2011 Suite101.com The Neil Simon Theater was the setting for this concert by popular musician/singer Harry Connick, Jr. The concert, which took place twenty years after his first Broadway concert, was filmed on July 30 and 31, 2010 and includes many songs from Connick and his Big Band and Orchestra. Connick has described the Neil Simon Theater as being an intimate setting, and he felt very comfortable there. He was also in awe that his dressing room was once occupied by Ethel Merman. For Connick, performing on Broadway is a special experience. Harry Connick, Jr.’s New Orleans Roots In January, 2011 Harry Connick, Jr. spoke with members of the Television Critics Association about this concert for PBS. His Big Band consists of several musicians from his hometown of New Orleans, and Connick’s music includes a lot of jazz which is special to his heart. Read more at Suite101: Harry Connick, Jr. In Concert on Broadway on PBS http://www.suite101.com/content/harry-connick-jr-in-concert-on-broadway-on-pbs-a344369#ixzz1Ez78GXzP “My parents would bring me and my sister down to the French Quarter from the time we were little, little, like, 3, 4, 5 years old,” he said. “And they knew I wanted to play piano because I would play around the house and practice ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ or songs like that.” Connick said some of the bands would let him sit in on their gigs. “That's sort of a New Orleans tradition, to have young musicians sit in. I did that till I was about 14, when I started actually working down there and getting hired as the piano player at a lot of those traditional gigs.” Connick loves being in the limelight and said he always enjoyed the spotlight, even when he was a little boy. “My dad tells a story of when I was in the fifth grade. He came to kind of check up on me in school because he had heard that there [were] some disciplinary issues. And he kind of peeked in the door, and the class was in session and I was in the back of the class at a table with about three other kids. And after the class was over, my dad went to the teacher and said, ‘What going on? Why is Harry Junior in the back of the class?’ And she says, "Well, he won't listen to me, so I've just decided to let him do his own thing back there. And it's always been that I've just really, really sought attention.” When asked when he knew he had really made it in the business he quickly responded, “Right after I did the soundtrack to When Harry Met Sally, I was walking through an airport and I heard my music being played at the airport. And it was right around that time where people would say, ‘Are you that guy? You're that singer.’” Being recognized outside of his hometown of New Orleans was truly exciting for him. Harry Connick, Jr. The Actor Besides playing piano and singing, Harry Connick, Jr. has been in several feature films, as well as television shows and movies. When performing in a concert he gets the chance to ad-lib and mix things up a bit, and he acknowledged that often that includes forgetting or replacing a word in a song. He enjoys acting because it is all scripted. “When you do a show, you have to say what's on the page. And it's kind of liberating because you don't have to think of anything, and I found myself kind of enjoying the role, literally and figuratively, of being an actor where you could kind of fantasize and go somewhere else.” Harry is busy touring with his band, recording, and acting. His next film, Dolphin Tale, comes out in October. As he explained, “It's with Morgan Freeman and Kris Kristofferson and Ashley Judd. It's a true story about this dolphin in Clearwater, Florida, that had its tail amputated, and they came up with a prosthetic tail for this dolphin, and it's unbelievable. “I play the veterinarian, and Morgan Freeman plays the doctor who comes up with the prosthesis that actually has become influential in human prosthetics. They've developed technology through this that has transferred over to human prosthetics. It's just incredible. This dolphin is unbelievable. If you're ever down in Clearwater, Florida, it's incredible.” Great Performances: Harry Connick, Jr. In Concert on Broadway premiers Wednesday, March 2, 2011 on PBS. Check local listings for time. Read more at Suite101: Harry Connick, Jr. In Concert on Broadway on PBS http://www.suite101.com/content/harry-connick-jr-in-concert-on-broadway-on-pbs-a344369#ixzz1Ez744iSE