Harry Connick, Jr. to perform at the Palace Theater, June 12 and June 13!

Stamford, CT-Dave Brubeck famously said, “Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don't be a perfectionist - leave that to the classical musicians.” There is no one who embodies this more than the legendary Harry Connick, Jr. The Palace Theater is incredibly excited to have this three-time Grammy-award winner in concert on Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13 at 8pm.

His musical talent is multi-faceted; not only can he bring grade-A jazz vocals, but he is a gifted composer and lyricist. He initially rose to fame for performing the soundtrack to the hit movie When Harry Met Sally, bringing a fresh flair to classics like “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” and “It had to be You.” This soundtrack won him his first Grammy. Soon after, he released his most popular song to date, “I Could Only Whisper Your Name,” for the classic Jim Carrey movie, The Mask, officially launching him to the acclaim we all know of him today.

Connick is also a talented actor; he was first featured in Independence Day, and most notably starred in Hope Floats with Sandra Bullock. He played Dr. Leo Markus on the hit TV series Will and Grace for four years. Beyond that, he has excelled on Broadway. He was nominated for Best Soundtrack for the musical Thou Shalt not, starred the 2008 revival of The Pajama Game and in the 2011 revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Most recently, Connick stepped into the critic’s circle, replacing Randy Jackson as a judge for the final few seasons of American Idol with Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban. Critics often remarked how much Connick improved Idol by doing away with confusing criticisms and implementing technical musical terms to mentor the contestants.  

He is even a generous philanthropist. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Connick went to New Orleans to begin relief efforts. He organized and performed in the NBC special A Concert for Hurricane Relief. He highlighted struggling shelters and worked to restore a line of homes for musicians. 

Throughout his prolific career, Connick managed to keep with his music. He has released twenty-six studio albums, winning two more Grammys for the Albums “We are in Love” and “Songs I’ve Heard.” His music ranges from the jazz of his New Orleans background to pop-funk, to taking a classic twist on modern hits. The concert will feature original songs from his entire career, as well as classic jazz standards.  Connick often describes how he changes up the arrangements of his music before a concert, so that he can keep what he’s singing fresh and interesting. No two Connick performances are the same; every one is different and special.

He is so revered by all in Fairfield County, and the Palace is truly honored to host him. Please come see one of the most talented musicians in decades, you won’t want to miss it! 

Dr. Ruth Discussion to be Streamed Live at the Palace!

Stamford, CT- America’s most hilarious and beloved therapist, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, will be leading a discussion at the prestigious 92^nd St Y Talks, to be streamed live at The Palace Theatre, Monday, June 8^th, at 8:15pm.

In this discussion, titled “The Doctor Is In,” Dr. Ruth will be discussing what she’s discovered while in pursuit of living a full life, as shown in her new book, The Doctor Is In: Dr. Ruth on Love,Life, and Joie de Vivre.  After facing tragedy, fear, and ultimately triumph, Dr. Ruth will discuss how she faced it all, and how she has kept her iconic spark for eighty-seven years.

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Ruth Westheimer was put on the kindertransport, a train for young Jewish children destined for Switzerland to escape the Holocaust. After spending her childhood in a Swiss orphanage, she moved to Palestine at age 17, eventually joining the Haganah, the Israel Defense Force, where she trained to be a sniper. Injured by a bomb blast on her twentieth birthday, she then moved to Paris, studying and teaching psychology at the University of Paris. She then moved to the United States, where she received her Masters in Sociology from Columbia University, Teachers College.

She rose to fame with the publications of her now-famous Sex for Dummies and Encyclopedia of Sex. She then was picked up by WYNC, NBC Radio, in 1980. Her show, “Sexually Speaking” sought to answer people’s questions about sex and sexuality. Her show became immensely popular, and she made several appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, among other talk shows. Sexually Speaking then added a 15-minute segment on Lifetime Cable, where Dr. Ruth continued to answer the public’s questions about sex and sexuality. Her segments are now on her highly-viewed YouTube Channel. She also appeared on the children’s series Between  the Lions, in which she played a therapist to helped characters overcome their fear of long words.

In 2009, after appearing as #13 on Playboy Magazine’s "55 Most important people in Sex for the Past 55 Years", Dr. Ruth’s life story was picked up by playwright Mark St. Germain, where it became the hit off-Broadway production Becoming Dr. Ruth, starring That 70’s Show actress Debra Jo Rupp.  

The Doctor Is In will be moderated by ProfessorAnnette Insdorf, a revered film professor at Columbia University. She has spent many years researching Dr. Ruth, and demonstrating how Ruth’s approaches to talking about psychology and sex have had an immense impact on film. She is also the author of numerous books, including Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust.

For over 140 years, 92^nd St Y Talks have striven to promote conversations “…where tomorrow’s most important issues are revealed, and today’s most intriguing conversations begin” for the Jewish community and beyond. The talks have welcome esteemed guests such as Robert Gates and Neil Patrick Harris. The Palace is honored to be able to live-stream their lectures, and we so look forward to hearing the inspirational words of Dr. Ruth!