Run by Habitat for Humanity, the program creates affordable housing for musicians and their families left homeless by Katrina. A Musicians' Village fundraiser brought Connick to Houston last week, to host an auction of special-edition Longines watches (he's the company's "icon of elegance" ambassador).
Though the Musicians' Village, launched last December, is Connick's major initiative, he's been assisting the city since he visited in the days just after the disaster and made an impassioned plea for action on the Today show.
He helped organize and performed at a relief telethon in September 2005, contributed tracks to benefit albums, even testified last October before the U.S. Senate about conditions he witnessed and the need for aid.
"Had Katrina happened somewhere else," Connick muses, "I don't know if I'd have been as involved. But when something happens to your hometown, your own family and friends, you feel compelled to do something."
Though he moved to New York at 18, Connick remained close to New Orleans through visits to friends and to his father, former New Orleans district attorney Harry Connick Sr.
, who still lives there. As often as his schedule allows, Connick also takes part in the Krewe of Orpheus, which he co-founded, for the Mardi Gras parade.
His campaign for New Orleans comes during one of the busiest times of Connick's professional life.
He drew rave reviews and a Tony nomination this spring for his confident and invigorating Broadway debut, starring in the Tony-winning revival of The Pajama Game, which sold out its entire run.
He completed his recurring role as Leo (husband of Debra Messing's Grace) on the popular TV comedy Will Grace as it wrapped its final season. His character initially was planned to appear in a few episodes, but he wound up in more than 20.
His latest movie, Bug, a psychological thriller directed by William (The Exorcist) Friedkin, is set for a December release.
He released a two-disc Harry on Broadway set, pairing the Pajama Game cast album with his new performances of songs from 2001's Thou Shalt Not, his Tony-nominated Broadway composing debut. And he has two new CDs, tributes to his New Orleans musical roots, set for release in February.
"Music is what I've done for the longest amount of time, but I don't sit around categorizing. When I was a kid, I wanted to do many different things. I heard a woman speak recently about the spirit adults seem to lose.
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