Connick filmed a video for “Amazing Grace,” in the opera house as a major snowstorm descended on the area Feb. 1.
The song, a cover of the indelible Christian hymn first published in 1779, is the first single off Connick’s new album, “Alone with My Faith,’ scheduled to be released March 19.
The album, according to Connick’s website, is the artist’s direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the planet for a year.
“In March 2020, right after news of the pandemic hit, when my tour was cancelled and I headed home for however long it would last, I decided to record some music,” according to a statement attributed to Connick on his website. “Not only because I wanted to, but because I needed to. With no tour dates in sight, and with everyone’s realities upended and futures uncertain, recording was what was necessary for me to help guide me through the uncharted odyssey in which we all unexpectedly found ourselves.”
Connick lives in Connecticut.
According to Andrew Baklik, Mayor Rich Dziekan’s chief of staff, Connick’s daughter — Georgia Connick — reached out to Derby City Hall about using the Sterling Opera House for the video.
Georgia Connick, a photographer and filmmaker who recently traveled the country with her father to document essential workers during the pandemic, directed and edited the “Amazing Grace” video, which is embedded at the top of this story.
She reached out to city government less than a week before Feb. 1, Baklik said. Mayor Dziekan’s administration moved quickly — and quietly, as word of the shoot was kept secret — to accommodate the singer and his crew.
“I’m not sure how she found, whether she was looking online, but she was looking for historic theaters of that style,” Baklik said.
The video crew was small. A piano was moved into The Sterling Opera House the day before the shoot.
Production companies in film and television have stringent COVID-19 requirements. No one was allowed in during filming unless they had proof of a current COVID-19 test. The crew was tiny, Baklik said.
A screen capture from the video filmed inside Derby’s Sterling Opera House.
The Sterling Opera House, built in 1889 and the first Connecticut building to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, looks great from the outside — but the city has been unable to come up with the money to renovate the interior. The building does not have electricity, which meant it was cold the day Connick arrived for the shoot.
“I did not attend the day that shot the video, but there were two firefighters there, and I’m told it was freezing inside,” Baklik said.
Derby regulations required a “fire watch” — that is, the stationing of firefighters — at The Sterling Opera House in case of emergency.
The city allowed Connick and his crew to use the building free of charge, though they’ll be billed for the “fire watch.” The crew indicated they’re interested in sending a donation to a fund that was established to restore the opera house.
Derby Fire Department Chief David Lenart was present during the filming of the video. He said he and firefighter Buddy Canty made small talk with Connick about football but generally tried to stay out of the singer’s way while he worked.
“He was a true southern gentleman,” Lenart said. “And a big Saints fan.”
Baklik said it’s a positive story in trying times.
“The video came out great. It captures the mood of the opera house,” he said.
Connick is the latest in a long line of well-known people who have entered the opera house. Lionel Barrymore, Amelia Earhart and Harry Houdini all made appearances there in its heyday.
The Valley Indy reached out to Connick’s management and this story will be updated if a response is received. Update: Click here for a short Q & A with Connick Jr.
