Connick gives his regards to Broadway

For Harry Connick Jr., success is sweeter the further he gets into his career.

"You want all this great stuff to happen, and when it happens, it's not that you're ungrateful, but there's a lot of momentum when you're a new artist," he said. "And I just grew up, man." Connick, 43, headlines tonight's 90-minute "Great Performances" (at 8 on WNET/13) with "Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway," recorded in July at the Neil Simon Theatre.

This is Connick's third "Great Performances" show, following appearances on the program in 1990 and 2004. He sings standards and original music and performs New Orleans street music in the latest special, backed by a band and a 12-piece string section.

Connick also is known for his acting, including a role on "Will & Grace." His next acting project is a movie called "Dolphin Tale," due out this fall. It's based on the true story of a dolphin that was given a prosthetic tail. Connick plays a veterinarian in the movie, which also stars Morgan Freeman, Kris Kristofferson and Ashley Judd. Earlier this week it was announced that he will return to Broadway in a new production of "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever."