NEW YORK – New Orleans’ own Harry Connick Jr. is excited to see Kendrick Lamar take the stage for the Super Bowl halftime show.

“Like everyone else, I’m eager to see what the show will be like,” the 57-year-old artist tells YSL News. “It’s an incredible opportunity for any performer, so it should be thrilling.”

However, not everyone was on board with Connick Jr.’s excitement. Lamar, who will be performing alongside SZA, hails from Compton, California. Lil Wayne, another New Orleans talent, expressed his disappointment at not being selected for the show. Nonetheless, he has since reached out to Lamar to extend his best wishes.

For Connick Jr., his focus is on another performance before his hometown gets ready for the Super Bowl. The singer and composer is reviving his show dedicated to Cole Porter for a five-night engagement at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. This performance originally took place on Broadway in December 2019, with plans for a worldwide tour before the pandemic struck.

“When everything closed down, I essentially shelved the show,” Connick Jr. shares. Interestingly, his tour manager lives in Indiana, Porter’s home state, where the show’s equipment is stored. “My manager suggested, ‘How about performing it at the Met?’ It was such a tremendous honor to even think about being on that stage.”

Connick Jr. will pay tribute to Porter’s legacy in the Great American Songbook. Porter’s complete catalog is preserved at the Library of Congress, and he won the inaugural Tony Award for best musical in 1948. His beloved songs include “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “In the Still of the Night,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.”

“I’m not trying to change anything about these songs,” he emphasizes. “When I step onto the stage, I feel completely at ease. It’s something I truly enjoy doing.”

In addition to being connected to Indiana, both Porter and Connick Jr. have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. While Porter’s family encouraged him to pursue a career in law, Connick Jr.’s lawyer parents supported his artistic aspirations.

“There was no way I was going to follow in their footsteps because academics weren’t my strong suit,” he reflects. “I excelled in music and the arts, but there was never a conversation about me going to law school or pursuing anything academic. I really struggled in that environment. I think my parents were relieved to see me happy dedicating my time to music and the arts.”

Connick Jr.’s career spans film, television, and music. His work on the soundtrack for “When Harry Met Sally” earned him a Grammy for best jazz male vocal performance. Recently, fans speculated about a possible sequel after a photo of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan surfaced on Instagram, with a caption hinting at an iconic reunion. Just mentioning the film brought back memories for Connick Jr.

“That was a defining moment in my career,” he reflects. “I have incredible memories tied to that film. I feel nostalgic thinking about what that movie did for me and the emotions it evokes. So when I think of those two and their impact on me, I get very enthusiastic when I hear about (the photo).”

Unfortunately, there’s no sequel in the works—at least not yet. The actors reunited for a Hellmann’s Super Bowl commercial, which might give Connick Jr. another reason to watch the Big Game after all.