Lyric Theatre In Downtown Stuart

“When you’re weary ... feeling small ...” With that poignant opening line from the classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Art Garfunkel secured his place in history alongside the greatest singers in popular music. From his earliest days with Paul Simon, working New York clubs, to his most recent solo work “Some Enchanted Evening,” Garfunkel has used his angelic voice to breathe fresh new life into the work of brilliant songwriters. “Tiny things in the throat express humanity in a performance,” he says, “and they’re gold. I don’t think I’m a natural performer. I’m more a reader, a thinker, a schoolteacher. But I am a natural singer. Singing and making a lovely sound is my life’s devotion. And I’m entirely confident when I go there.” Born in Queens, Garfunkel sang in temple and, at an early age, developed a passion for rock ‘n’ roll music. He and Simon met in the 6th grade and formed a duo — first they were Tom & Jerry, working Simon originals into their shows alongside rock and doo-wop covers, and in 1963 they re-christened themselves Simon & Garfunkel. “When Paul and I were teenagers, performing as Tom & Jerry, we would often be the only white act on the bill,” Garfunkel says. “In the world of rock ‘n’ roll we were educated, brainy, different. But I liked that. “We charted new ground. We married two disparate elements: a poetic sense of songwriting, and an ability to make records that swing. It’s a powerful combination.” Indeed. Through a series of sweetly poetic recordings — including “The Sound of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” “Mrs. Robinson” and the heavenly “Bridge Over Troubled Water” — the duo wrote an exciting and entirely new page in the book of the ‘60s. Simon & Garfunkel split in 1970, and Garfunkel began his solo career with the “Angel Clare” album, turning out a hit with the stately “All I Know.” His 1975 interpretation of the Flamingos classic “I Only Have Eyes For You” made the Top 20, and “What a Wonderful World,” performed with Simon and longtime pal James Taylor, performed similarly. Garfunkel, who has acted in such films as “Carnal Knowledge,” “Catch-22” and “Bad Timing,” often performs with symphony orchestras, with the spotlight placed firmly where it belongs — on his pure, high tenor. “Some Enchanted Evening,” a collection of pop and jazz standards from the likes of Irving Berlin and George and Ira Gershwin, proves that great music — like a great voice — is timeless. “Working as a musician, there is no age,” says Garfunkel. “When you open your mouth and it’s music time, everything to do with aging falls away. To chase after the beauty of a vocal line is an ageless thing, and I’ve been doing it all my life. “Nothing has changed: I’m still a kid with a sense of beauty, trying to get it across.”