An Evening with Harry Connick Jr.: Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother

Grammy and Emmy Award-winning entertainer Harry Connick Jr. comes home to New Orleans for a special evening celebrating his debut book, Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother.

Mitch Landrieu will moderate an intimate conversation with Connick about his mother, Anita-Francis Livingston Connick, lovingly known as Babe, and the memories, music and family history that inspired his first book. The event will take place at Dixon Concert Hall at Tulane University, with doors opening at 4 p.m. and the program beginning at 5:30 p.m.

This special event is presented in partnership by the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University and Octavia Books with support from WWNO 89.9. 

General Admission — $35
Includes one general admission seat and a presigned copy of Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother.

Preferred Seating — $50
Includes one priority seat in the first ten rows of the lower-bowl orchestra section and a presigned copy of Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother.

All tickets include a presigned copy of the book. Books will be distributed at the event. There will not be a signing line for additional personalization or photographs with the author.

Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother will be published by Harper Celebrate, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus, on Sept. 29.

In Babe: Elaboratio, Connick pays heartfelt tribute to his mother, Anita-Francis Livingston Connick, who died when he was 13. Her story unfolds as a musical fantasy rich with emotion, history and memory, from her childhood in New York to her meeting with Connick’s father in Morocco and her pioneering career as one of New Orleans’ first female judges.

Written in connection with Connick’s first-ever Carnegie Hall performance, the book explores the memories and musical significance behind his composition Babe, revealing the stories and emotions woven into the score. Featuring personal photography and selections from the music, Babe: Elaboratio is a tribute to a mother’s enduring influence and a meditation on the ways family, memory and music shape a life.

Harry Connick Jr.’s career spans music, film, television and Broadway. A Grammy and Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee, Connick has earned international recognition as a vocalist, pianist, composer, arranger, actor and entertainer.

A native of New Orleans, Connick began performing as a pianist and vocalist at age 5 and rose to international prominence following his work on the soundtrack for When Harry Met Sally. His career has included numerous recordings, film and television roles, Broadway performances and the Emmy-nominated daytime talk show Harry.

Connick has also remained deeply connected to his hometown through his philanthropy and civic work. Following Hurricane Katrina, he and fellow New Orleans musician Branford Marsalis helped establish Musicians’ Village and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.

Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother marks Connick’s debut as an author and offers a deeply personal look at the woman, family and musical memories that helped shape his life and career.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact the New Orleans Book Fest office at 504-314-7443 or bookfest@tulane.edu.

Ticketing and additional information is available on Eventbrite.