Connick bringing taste of New Orleans to MPAC Thursday

Here comes the big parade!

Musician, singer, composer, actor and native son Harry Connick, Jr., is one of the greatest treasures to ever come out of New Orleans.

A bonafide superstar famous worldwide, Connick has won multiple Grammy and Emmy awards, and earned Tony Award nominations for his musical performances, his acting and his contributions to Broadway both as a composer and an actor. 

Yet with all of the impressive accomplishments and accolades he’s garnered over the years, Connick remains humble, down-to-earth and fiercely loyal to his hometown, paying homage to New Orleans every chance he gets. 

"Any chance I get to celebrate New Orleans I do," Connick said.

Connick and his band are currently on his New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration tour, performing songs in tribute of his beloved city everywhere they go. Fresh off stops in Georgia and Tennessee, Connick brings his tour to the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre on Thursday, featuring the music of New Orleans and Connick’s holiday favorites.

"The show changes a little bit each night, but, essentially, it’s a celebration of New Orleans music," Connick said. "I throw some other stuff in there because I think people might like to hear things from other times in my career, but we’re going to be celebrating many different kinds of New Orleans music, from traditional jazz to gospel, brass band, funk, R&B, a little bit of all of that stuff, and it’s real close to Christmas so we’ll play some Christmas music.”

Tickets range from $67.50 to $125, and are available through mpaconline.org or the MPAC box office. Call 334-481-5100 for more information. 

The foundation of Connick’s art is the music of his native New Orleans, where he began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the age of five.

The MPAC show takes place just ahead of a hometown tour stop Saturday for Connick in New Orleans at the UNO Lakefront Arena. All proceeds from the New Orleans concert benefit the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, a charitable endeavor near and dear to Connick’s heart that he co-founded after Hurricane Katrina.

“The tricentennial of New Orleans is a big deal and the show is going to be a big party,” Connick said.

Follow Connick online at harryconnickjr.com.