Art Garfunkel to Play Ridgefield Playhouse, 4/11

After a two-year hiatus from performing due to complications with his vocal chords, six-time Grammy Award winning and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Art Garfunkel is back on tour and feeling great. In a special evening with the legendary Art Garfunkel and Tab Leven, his guitar player, on Friday, April 11, at 8 p.m., The Ridgefield Playhouse will be filled with "The Sound Of Silence", and many more Garfunkel songs that helped define a generation and remain among the most instantly recognizable in popular music. This event will be Art Garfunkel's first concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse.

"We are excited to welcome Art Garfunkel to our stage," said Allison Stockel, Executive Director of The Ridgefield Playhouse. "It will be an amazing evening of music, poetry and even include a special audience Q&A with Art. His new interactive show format allows the audience a chance to engage directly with this famous artist." Discretion is advised if intending to purchase tickets for children younger than 10 years of age. The Ancient Mariner (451 Main St., Ridgefield) will pour a glass of house wine with dinner the night of this show when tickets/stubs are presented. This event is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter Series with media sponsor WFUV 90.7fm.

It was 40 years ago that "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was listened to on college campuses and airwaves throughout the U.S. when Art was part of Simon & Garfunkel in the folk music era. Simon & Garfunkel won five Grammy awards, and Art has 13 solo albums to his credit. Not many singer/songwriters have the expansive generation-defining songbook as that of Art Garfunkel, whose image and signature vocals remain among the most instantly recognizable in popular music. His newest album, The Singer, puts his entire career in focus as a retrospect from one of the most extraordinary careers in music history.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began performing as Simon & Garfunkel in late-1963, and within a year were signed to Columbia Records. They maintained a tireless pace in the recording studio and on the road, reaching a wide and loyal international audience. From 1964 to 1970, they recorded a groundbreaking string of classic albums (Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., Sounds Of Silence, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, The Graduate, Bookends, and Bridge Over Troubled Water) and an equally impressive body of songs, many of which became pop standards. The duo won five Grammy awards, two in 1968 (Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Pop Performance/ Duo or Group for "Mrs. Robinson"), and three in 1970 (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists for "Bridge Over Troubled Water", which also won Song of the Year and Best Engineered Recording). In 1972, their Greatest Hits was released, remaining on the charts for 131 weeks in the US and a staggering 179 weeks in the UK. The album has since sold 14 million units -- the largest selling album of all time for a duo. In 1990, Simon & Garfunkel were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Simon & Garfunkel split at the height of their popularity. Highlights of Garfunkel's solo music career include a Top 10 hit, three Top 20 hits, six Top 40 hits, 14 Adult Contemporary Top 30 singles, five Adult Contemporary #1's, two UK #1's and a People's Choice Award. Through his solo and collaborative work, Garfunkel has earned six Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.

For tickets ($65), call the box office at 203-438-5795. For more information on The Ridgefield Playhouse, visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.

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