When Simon Cowell, the cranky Brit, leaves “American Idol” later this month to go to “The X Factor,” Fox needs to name Harry Connick Jr. as his replacement. Connick worked the mentoring gig of his over like it was a week long audition. Connick arranged the kids’ music, gave them lots of practical performance advice, and with Ryan Seacrest held his own. He told the audience a story about Frank Sinatra and even said out loud what all of us have been thinking regarding contestants on the show parading their kids to get sympathy votes.

This summer Harry Connick Jr. will be returning to Broadway with his own concert limited engagement series. The production “Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway” will have 11 performances in total running July 15 to July 26. The host for the special will be Neil Simon Theatre, which has 1,445 seats. During the two week in-house production, the Neil Simon Theatre will only be dark one night on July 20. Performances on Sunday will be held at 7 pm. Monday as well as Wednesday through Saturday performances will start at 8 pm.

Harry Connick, Jr., following his recent Grammy nomination, has put together West and East coast runs set for early next year. The jazz singer and pianist continues to support his recently released album “Your Songs.”

After decades of being a professional musician, Harry Connick Jr. it appears can adapt to just about any crowd or song. The renowned jazz singer/pianist and actor performed most of “Your Songs,” a new covers album, for the very first time on Tuesday night at Hiro Ballroom in New York. During the performance he conducted his 18 piece band while offering the audience his own unique style of comedy.

Harry Connick Jr., jazz singer and actor, Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, HIV co-discoverer, Jessie Gruman, health care advocate, and William McDonough, architect, will be receiving honorary degrees from Tulane University at their 2009 Commencement ceremony to be held at the Louisiana Superdome on May 16. The commencement will mark the departure of the “Katrina Class” for Tulane. Those were the students who had only been freshman at Tulane for a couple hours before being forced to evacuate right before Hurricane Katrine hit.

The first set of dates for Harry Connick, Jr.’s Holiday Celebration Tour 2008” have been set. The tour for the Grammy award winning jazz pianist and singer will kick off in Louisville, KY on November 18 and through mid December will make its away across the eastern part of the US. Chicago and New York City will both see two night stands. Additional on sale information and shows will be announced later.

On Monday producer Scott Landis announced that in Spring 2009 Harry Connick Jr. will be returning to Broadway, joining the cast of “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” a musical comedy that draws on Gershwin standards. In the show Connick Jr. will playing a playboy from Long Island. The book is from Joe DiPetro, a writer from “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.” Lyrics are from Ira Gershwin and the music from George Gershwin.

Harry Connick Jr., after taking a short break, will be hitting the road once again on April 4 along with his big band. They will be playing an entire new North American run of dates in the West and South. In late February he kicked off his “My New Orleans” tour. The itinerary focused on the eastern portion of the US along with Canada that went through late April. On May 6 Connick Jr.

The 38th annual edition of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival being held this year will be presenting even more music than it ever has. Around 600 acts will be hosted on 10 different stages during the event that will take place at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans from April 27-29 as well as May 4-6.