From ‘Fences’ to ‘In the Heights,’ it’s a week of grand returns this week in things to do and see in CT

It’s the week of grand returns of beloved shows, ranging from the classic August Wilson drama “Fences” to a community theater production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first hit “In the Heights” to Steve Solomon’s long-running one-man comedy monologue “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy!”

There’s also Connecticut Lyric Opera bringing Puccini’s “Tosca” to four locations around the state, starting with New Britain’s Trinity-On-Main, and four acts that have landed in just the right venues for their talents: jam icons Zero at the listening room Infinity Hall, Rhett Miller at the cozy rock club Cafe Nine, The1975 at the large but comfy Mohegan Sun Arena and Hartford’s own nationally renowned Shadow of Intent thrilling the Hartford deathcore scene at the Webster Theater.

Here are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.

Zero

Infinity Music Hall, 32 Front St., Harford

The jam band Zero is both innovative and familiar. They are known for going into their own improvisational directions, but some of Zero’s members have been associated with various Grateful Dead offshoots and founder Steve Kimock’s guitar style is often compared to Jerry Garcia’s. Zero has been around for over 30 years and Dead lyricist Robert Hunter worked with them for a while. Besides Kimock, the line-up coming to Hartford’s Infinity Hall on Sunday at 8 p.m. features founding drummer Greg Anton, bassist Pete Sears, keyboardist Spencer Burrows and trumpeter Hadi Al-Saadoon. $38-$48. infinityhall.com.

‘Fences’

Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Rd., West Hartford

August Wilson’s masterpiece “Fences,” about a Pittsburgh garbage collector and former ballplayer struggling amid the racial oppression of the 1950s, was heard for the first time when it was given a reading at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford in 1983. Its world premiere production was at the Yale Rep in New Haven in 1985, and a couple of years later the first national tour played the Shubert. Hartford Stage produced “Fences” in 2007, so did the Long Wharf Theatre in 2013. Now West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park is continuing the strong Connecticut “Fences” tradition on its intimate floor-level stage, Nov. 2-20, directed by Kenne M. Green. Performances are Tuesdays at 2 p.m., and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $45-$55, $42.50-$52.50 students/seniors/military, $25 previews (Nov. 2 and 3). playhouseonpark.org.

The 1975

Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville

The new album from The 1975 is “Being Funny in a Foreign Language.” On Nov. 3 at 7 p.m., the British global rock sensation is being poppy in a resort casino. The Missouri hip-hop/pop act BLACKSTARKIDS opens. $49-$89. mohegansun.com.

‘My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy!’

Seven Angels Theater, 1 Plank Rd. Waterbury

Steve Solomon has performed his comedy monologue “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish and I’m in Therapy!” around 10,000 times. He adds five more performances of his one-liner-laden stand-up comedy confessional on Nov. 3-6 at Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury. Thursday at 2 and 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $35-$45. 7atheatre.org.

‘Tosca’

Connecticut Lyric Opera, multiple locations

Connecticut Lyric Opera is back with its latest statewide tour of a classic opera scaled down for smaller venues. Puccini’s bloodthirsty “Tosca” is performed at Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St., New Britain, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ($35; $25 seniors); at the Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London on Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. ($35-$45); at The Bushnell’s Belding Theater, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Nov. 11 ($43-$92); and at the Santo Fragilio Performing Arts Center at Middletown High School, 200 LaRosa Lane, Middletown, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ($40; $35 in advance). Jurate Svedate sings the title role. ctlyricopera.org.

Hartford Symphony Orchestra Masterworks: Ravel and Debussy

The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

The second Masterworks concert of the current Hartford Symphony Orchestra season offers Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, and Debussy hits, “Clair de lune” and “Nocturnes,” plus Mason Bates’ water-themed “Liquid Interface.” There are three performances at The Bushnell’s Belding Theater, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford on Nov. 4 and 5 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. Carolyn Kuan conducts, and Allessio Bax is at the piano. $35-$69. hartfordsymphony.org.

Nate Bargatze

The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

Stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze is on what he calls his “The Raincheck Tour,” so named because it makes good on dates he had to cancel during COVID and also adds a bunch of new shows. They’re old dates but Bargatze — who’s not only an accomplished stand-up performer but is the son of a renowned clown/magician — is promising all-new material. Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. $43-$115. bushnell.org.

Shadow of Intent

Webster Theater, 31 Webster St., Hartford

The Hartford-based deathcore band Shadow of Intent is on a North American tour and headlines at the state’s best room for metal bands, the Webster Theater on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. The tour is named “Elegy” for the band’s latest album, which contains the songs “Intensified Genocide” and “From Ruin... We Rise.” Other acts on the bill include Enterprise Earth, Inferi, Wormhole and Dream Of Scipio. $20. webstertheater.com.

Rhett Miller

Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven

Acclaimed solo singer/songwriter Rhett Miller, who’s also the leader of the alt-country band The Old ‘97s, is at the intimate Cafe Nine in New Haven on Nov. 4 at 9 p.m. His latest solo album, “The Messenger,” is from 2018 and The Old ‘97′s latest, “Twelfth,” came in 2020. Miller has also hosted podcasts, written children’s books, short stories and magazine articles and been an advocate for mental health issues. New Jersey native Antony D’Amato is the opening act. $20. cafenine.com.

‘In the Heights’

Little Theatre of Manchester, Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Rd., Manchester

The Little Theatre of Manchester is the latest Connecticut theater to tackle “In the Heights,” which has previously been produced everywhere from Playhouse on Park to Westport Playhouse to numerous high schools. Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on the show, which chronicles the lottery winnings, power outages and other wild times in a New York neighborhood, when he was a student at Wesleyan University and later at the O’Neill Center in Waterford. Nov. 4-20 at Manchester’s Cheney Hall. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $24-$32, $22-$30 students/seniors/military. cheneyhall.org.

Reach reporter Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.