Kings of comedy D.L. Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer bring the funny
It’s a good week for singer-songwriters at Connecticut arts venues.
The prolific Ezra Furman is at the Space Ballroom in Hamden. Brian Culbertson, who frequently switches up styles and concepts, is at The Bushnell, and Mexican pop star Ana Gabriel is at Mohegan Sun Arena.
There’s also an array of stand-up comedy this week, including Kathleen Madigan at Foxwoods and five big-time Black comics who make up the “Straight Jokes! No Chaser” tour at Mohegan Sun.
For those who needed a fuller stage, a symphony plays the “E.T.” score live while the movie screens in Waterbury, and all the pomp and grandeur of a Meat Loaf show is captured by the Neverland Express and Caleb Johnson at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk.
Here are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.
Ezra Furman Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden
Scruffy sweet-voiced indie singer/songwriter Ezra Furman released her seventh solo album of the past decade, “All of Us Flames,” last year. Before that, she had three albums with her band The Harpoons. Considering that she came out of the Boston music scene of the 2000s, there’ve been relatively few Furman shows in Connecticut over the years. So make the most of the all-ages one on March 26 at 8 p.m. at the Space Ballroom in Hamden with Alexandra Burnet & the Proven Winners opening. $18. /spaceballroom.com.
Simón Willson Quartet Center Church, 675 Main St., Hartford
The Simón Willson Quartet says its sound “focuses heavily on the intersectionality of Afrodiasporic musical traditions
the blues, jazz, Cuban and Brazilian music fused with different elements of the
Western classical tradition, the experimental avant-garde, and an awareness and interest in rock and pop expressions.” Bandleader Willson is a bassist and composer. The quartet is the latest free show from Hartford Public Library’s Baby Grand Jazz, which is not being held at the main library this year due to flooding but at nearby Center Church. March 26 at 3 p.m. hplct.org.
Brian Culbertson The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Eclectic singer/composer Brian Culbertson concentrates on his relationship-themed “The Trilogy” series of (you guessed it) three albums for this tour. March 29 at 7:30 p.m. $59-$161; VIP packages available. bushnell.org.
‘Straight Jokes! No Chaser’ comedy tour
Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
A “Kings of Comedy”-level assemblage of Black stand-ups — Mike Epps, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, radio personality Earthquake and YouTube roaster DC Young Fly — are all at Mohegan Sun Arena on March 31 at 8 p.m. $59.50-$129.50. mohegansun.com.
Hartford Symphony Orchestra The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
The title of Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s “Mozart 40” concert refers to Amadeus’ Symphony
No. 40, but also on the program are 18th-century French Creole composer Joseph Bologne’s Symphony No. 2 and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3. The concert is conducted by Hartford Symphony Orchestra assistant conductor Adam Boyles. March 31 through April 2 at The Bushnell’s Belding Theater. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m. $35-$69. hartfordsymphony.org.
Kathleen Madigan Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket
Stalwart stand-up Kathleen Madigan does hundreds of shows a year and just taped her sixth Netflix special. She brings her “Boxed Wine and Tiny Banjos” to Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom on March 31 at 8 p.m. $34-$279. foxwoods.com.
‘Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime’ Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
The community-based Little Theatre of Manchester is tackling the popular stage adaptation (by Simon Stephens) of Mark Haddon’s novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” It has an unconventional teen protagonist tackling a Sherlock Holmes-type mystery. A large ensemble cast assists him. March 31 through April 16. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $17-$29; discounts for students, seniors and military. cheneyhall.org.
Celebrating Meat Loaf Wall Street Theater, 71 Wall St., Norwalk
The main creative forces behind the classic rock album “Bat Out of Hell,” songwriter Jim Steinman and singer Meat Loaf, both lived for years in Connecticut. So a live tribute to their work should be especially meaningful here. The man entrusted with recreating vocal workouts as “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” and “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” and other songs with really long titles is “American Idol” season 13 champion Caleb Johnson. The backing band, The Neverland Express, includes musicians who actually played with Meat Loaf: guitarist Paul Crook, drummer John Miceli and guitarist Randy Flowers. April 1 at 8 p.m. at the Wall Street Theater in Norwalk. $45-$85. wallstreettheater.com.
‘E.T: The ExtraTerrestrial’ in Concert Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury
Steven Spielberg’s timeless classic about a kid who finds room on his bicycle for an alien gets the live symphonic treatment with the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra playing John Williams’ score as the film is projected in the opulent Waterbury Palace. April 1 at 2 p.m. $45-$70. palacetheaterct.org.
Ana Gabriel Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
Latin pop diva Ana Gabriel, whose hits include “Ay Amor”, “Es Demasiado Tarde” and “Quién Como Tú,” is at Mohegan Sun Arena April 1 at 8 p.m. $61-$161, mohegansun.com.