HARRY CONNICK JR. - CONNICK JR. BUMPS UP AGAINST CHINA'S CONCERT RESTRICTIONS

Crooner HARRY CONNICK JR. was forced to make last-minute changes to a recent concert in China after coming up against the communist country's cultural restrictions on foreign performers. The singer mistakenly submitted an old set list to Chinese authorities in order to secure a performance permit before the Shanghai show on Sunday (09Mar08). Officials were adamant he play the songs on that list, despite his back-up band not having the music for the older tracks. As a result, the concert mostly featured the 40-year-old playing piano by himself, with his band sitting on stage and doing little. In a statement issued Thursday (13Mar08), he explained, "Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was not able to give my fans in China the show I intended."