In true professional form, the clock struck 8pm, out came Connick, singing as he walked. He must have been in the wings, watching the seconds’ countdown, as 7,000 people filed into their seats and filled every inch of the lawn at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center.

The concert was all over the place, with something for everyone. Jazz, funk, old standards, show tunes, but you could listen to him sing the phone book! His voice is velvety smooth, like melting butter. He has an indescribable tonal quality that is very distinctive, but also lends itself to singing all types of music.  What I didn’t know is that besides tickling the ivories (lucky ivories), he plays trumpet and the bongos! He was joined onstage by an orchestra of about twenty-five people, which he conducted the whole time. A special treat was that he brought out his Dad, Harry Connick, Sr. to sing “Bye, Bye, Blackbird”.  You can see, or rather hear where Harry Jr. gets his talent from.

I was lucky enough to see him on Broadway a few years ago in the limited engagement of the revival of, “The Pajama Game”. It will always stand as one of the top Broadway shows I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot! Seeing him in concert though, really allows you to see his real personality. He is very charming and charismatic, but he is also very funny. I guess this is why I have always loved him as an actor! He has a boyish charm when he smiles, but he really let loose and danced around the stage many times. You can see that he feels the music and it comes out in his vocals too. He sings with a lot of feeling. He had an awesome time onstage, which translated to the audience having an awesome time. He is only in concert for a few weeks, this time around, so make sure that you catch him soon!

Harry Connick, Jr.: A++, one of the best voices of all time, deserves the extra “+”! He is delightful to watch and listen to and has something for everyone to enjoy, including stories. His orchestra is insanely talented and you could listen to them on their own and be delighted. His team of 11, started setting up at 8:00am and running sound checks. They are obviously a well-oiled machine and the quality of the sound was one of the best I have ever heard at Wolf Trap.

Venue: A, poor Harry was sweating through his shirt within minutes of coming out onstage…July is hot this year! Despite the 7,000 people in attendance, the parking was sorted out quickly and this year’s staff really gets the job done, with smiles on their faces!

For Harry Connick, Jr.’s tour dates or upcoming news, go to www.harryconnickjr.com/us/events

For the remaining season at The Filene Center shows, www.wolftrap.org

About The Author

Denise A.

Theatre/Concert Reviewer

A member of the Actors’ Center since 2000, she is a professionally trained actor, singer and dancer, she has graced stages all over the country with various musicals and plays, receiving many awards and accolades. She was an award-nominated host for Eclipse Magazine TV and has also been seen on such shows as The Mickey Mouse Club, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and Ally McBeal. She is a professional magician’s assistant, who has worked with Carnegie and Bradley Fields. Denise has also done her share behind the scenes with many projects. Aside from choreography, she’s been doing costuming and makeup (award winning) for more than a decade. She has been a writer since middle school, mostly short stories and poetry. As English was a favorite subject always, she easily took to journalism courses in high school, followed by college. Her writing has spanned many different markets. In recent years, she has been co-authoring an original musical that she hopes gets to see the light of day 🙂

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