Reaching the ‘other side’
For actor-singer, local bridge a symbol for getting through the pandemic
NEW MILFORD — Many people have walked across Lovers Leap Bridge since it was built in the late 1800s.
So has Grammy- and Emmy-award winning singer and actor Harry Connick Jr. for his latest album, “Alone with my Faith.”
The album was released in March by Universal Music’s Verve and Capitol CMG. The video was directed and shot by Connick’s daughter, Georgia, and was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Georgia came up with the idea of bridges as symbolic for a passage from one place to another. In this particular case, it’s the pandemic, and knowing there’s something on the other side of the bridge, is something that we can take great comfort in,” Harry Connick, a New Canaan resident, said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media.
Georgia said the bridges were a perfect device for preparing the idea of what it’s like to be alone with one’s faith, “and to be able to trust that something is going to get you across, and this made sense, quite literally, having the bridges be bridges.”
Aside from Lovers Leap, Connick walked across several other Connecticut bridges as part of “Alone with my Faith,” including Thoreau Bridge in Washington Depot, Southford Falls Bridge in Southbury and an unnamed foot bridge in a New Canaan park.
Georgia said Lovers Leap Bridge, which spans the Housatonic River and is on the U.S. Register of National
Historic Places, was her favorite bridge she shot that day.
“The colors were so vibrant, and with the backdrop of the water and the snow — it really made the bridge pop for sure,” said Georgia, who grew up in New Canaan and now lives in Los Angeles.
Georgia, 25, was drawn to all the tiny combination locks that are attached to the sides of the bridge. “They each had their own initials, with their partner. There were also mother-daughter ones,” she said. “They were so cool. I wouldn’t expect to see anything like that in that area. It was absolutely breathtaking.”
In February, the fatherdaughter team was busy filming a video for another album — “Amazing Grace,” at Derby’s Sterling Opera House, which hasn’t operated as a theater since 1945.
Just like “Alone with my Faith,” this video also took place during a snowstorm.
Georgia, who discovered the opera house, said she was intrigued because it was abandoned.
“I love abandoned places and the vibe about it really stood out to me,” Georgia said. “I reached out to the mayor and I asked his assistant about the situation and we had to get permits and they were all so, so kind and very accommodating to what we needed to do, which really just shows the idea of grace and what it means for the
person.”
When thinking back to the day “Amazing Grace” was shot, Connick said to him, instead of grace and peace, the word “freeze” comes to mind.
“I had to act peaceful, but man, I was freezing. It was 15 degrees in there, so I couldn’t wait to get those shots, but Georgia is really fast,” he said, adding that due to the cold, filming “Amazing Grace” was his most challenging project.
Reflecting on his career, Harry Connick, 53, said he has no regrets. “I've made plenty of mistakes over the years, but learning from those mistakes are what have made me who I am today. I wouldn't change a thing.”
Connick spoke of the importance of family and faith
in times of tragedy and sadness.
“If your family and your faith are intact, you can pretty much get through anything. Georgia and I are lucky to have a very close family and we’re lucky to be able to call on our faith when we need it,” he said. “Everybody’s situation is different but those are the things that have worked for us.”
When he’s not working, he said he most enjoys being outdoors — in activities such as fishing and camping.
“I love being in nature, especially with my family. We all have such busy lives that it's nice to shut our phones off and just enjoy each other's company,” he said.
Both father and daughter remarked on how much they enjoy New Canaan.
“For me, New Canaan has been home for a little over 20 years,” Harry Connick said. “We love the town. It’s quiet. There’s great restaurants. It’s just a pretty part of the world. It’s close to New York. It’s easy to get to. It’s just got a lot of the things that we like in a hometown.”
As a student at New Canaan High, Georgia played on several of the school’s sports teams.
“Lacrosse was definitely memorable for me,” she said.
Harry is working on TV and film projects, but said they’re still in the early stages and he could not provide more details.
“Right now, I’m just focused on promoting the new album. Hopefully, we’ll be going on the road when things open up a little bit, maybe in a couple of months,” he said, adding he’s been giving most of his interviews from home, over Zoom.
He said the setting — amid a snowstorm — for the Lovers Leap video was “pretty cool.”
“We go to Litchfield County once in a while. We take a drive up to Washington and Sharon. But really don’t do it that much, so this was a novel experience with both me and Georgia, and the fact that it was in the throes of such an immense snowstorm was pretty cool,” he said. “It was a rare way to see that part of the state. It was a great couple of experiences for us and we look forward to being able to do more in the future.”