Laugh it up with standup comedy from Bert Kreishcer and Fortune Feimster this week for things to do and see in CT
Comedy’s back in full force this week, with stadium-filling comic of the moment Bert Kreischer at The Bushnell, Fortune Feimster at UConn’s Jorgensen Center and comically inclined YouTuber Daniel Howell, who’s also got a doom and gloom side, playing New Haven’s College Street Music Hall.
Many light moments can also be found with the peppy kids’ songs of Laurie Berkner on The Bushnell’s smaller stages, the murder mystery “The Mousetrap” opening the new season at Hartford Stage and the fun-loving skate/surf punk band Agent Orange at Café Nine.
Other highlights of this week in the Connecticut arts scene might be calmer (Jim Brickman) or dreamier (the Stick Men) or visually jarring (DakhaBrakha) but will no doubt also raise a smile. Even the observational pop psychology of Hall & Oates (”She’s a maneater,” “You’re a rich girl”) “can seem like well-crafted comedy one-liners in this context.
Here to brighten the darkening autumn with some bright cheery jokes and charming patter are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.
DakhaBrakha
UConn’s Jorgensen Center, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs
The colorfully attired Ukrainian folk quartet DakhaBrakha, founded 18 years ago by the award-winning experimental theater artist Vladyslav Troitskyi, performs Oct. 9 at 3 p.m. at UConn’s Jorgensen Center in Storrs. The concert is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. $15-$36. jorgensen.uconn.edu.
Daryl Hall & John Oates
Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
“She’s Gone.” “Rich Girl.” “Kiss on My List.” “Private Eyes.” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).” “Maneater.” “Out of Touch.” “Sara Smile.” “You Make My Dreams.” Daryl Hall & John Oates ruled mainstream radio from the early 1970s into the mid-’80s. Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. $59.50-$149.50. mohegansun.com.
Stick Men
Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden
Stick Men is a progressive rock trio featuring the longtime King Crimson rhythm section of Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto plus guitarist Markus Reuter. Levin plays a Chapman stick (hence the band’s name) strung with both bass and guitar strings, and Reuter plays a touch guitar of his own design, so expect some unexpected sounds. The opening act is New Haven’s own prog sensation Head With Wings, who put out an EP last year and are working on a second full-length album. Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. $25-$30. spaceballroom.com.
Agent Orange
Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven
The surf punk band Agent Orange has been around since 1979, and founding guitarist/vocalist Mike Palm is still holding the act together. Agent Orange is known for their own songs like “Bloodstains” and “Everything Turns Grey,” but also for their savage covers of classic rock hits like “Pipeline,” “Misirlou” and “Secret Agent Man.” Oct. 12 at 8:30 p.m. at “the musician’s living room,” Café Nine in New Haven. There’s also a great opening act: a reunion of one of the all-time great local experimental instrumental rock acts, The Vultures. $15. cafenine.com.
Daniel Howell
College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven
British YouTuber, BBC Radio DJ, bestselling author and mental health advocate Daniel Howell (of “not on fire” fame) brings his “We’re All Doomed” tour to New Haven’s College Street Music Hall on Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$178. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Bert Kreischer
The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Bare-chested comedian, prolific podcaster and Travel Channel reality show host Bert Kreischer, whom his fans know as “The Machine,” charges into The Bushnell Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. for his “Berty Boy Relapse Tour.” He’s been playing some massive venues like Red Rocks in Colorado last month, so the 2,000-seat Bushnell might seem intimate. $48-$93. bushnell.org.
‘The Mousetrap’
Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford
Don’t reveal whodunnit. Hartford Stage is opening its 2022-23 season with the undisputed longest-running play in the world: Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” which has had over 28,000 performances in London since opening in 1952. The Hartford Stage rendition runs Oct. 13 through Nov. 6. It’s directed by Jackson Gay, who directed “Make Believe” at Hartford Stage, “These Paper Bullets!” at Yale Rep and recently helmed another classic British mystery, “Wait Until Dark,” in Vermont. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 22 and 29 and Nov. 2 and 5. No evening performances Oct. 25 or Nov. 2. $30-$100; $20 students. hartfordstage.org/the-mousetrap.
Jim Brickman
Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford
New age pianist Jim Brickman regularly plays big venues like The Bushnell, but he’s doing things differently on his new “Brickman Across America” tour, coming to the cozier Infinity Hall Hartford Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. Besides his hits, Brickman is playing American song standards. Each performance is being recorded and will be made available to the audiences, who can hear themselves on some sing-alongs. $50-$65. infinityhall.com.
Laurie Berkner
The Bushnell. 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Laurie Berkner has spent the last 25 years playing and singing for kids. Her songs can have messages but also make you want to jump up and down. Among her hits: “Bumblebee,” “I’m Gonna Catch You” and “Waiting for the Elevator.” Berkner returns to The Bushnell Oct. 15, where she’ll do two daytime shows: a sensory-friendly performance at 11 a.m. in The Bushnell’s Autorino Great Hall, then a 3 p.m. show in The Bushnell’s Belding Theater. $33-$88. bushnell.org.
Fortune Feimster
UConn’s Jorgensen Center, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs
Comedian and sitcom actor Fortune Feimster (”The Mindy Project,” “The L Word: Generation Q,” “Kenan”) returns to Connecticut to do her stand-up, this time at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for a stop on her “Hey Y’All” tour Oct. 15 at 8 p.m., co-sponsored by UConn Rainbow Center and the UConn Women’s Center. $15-$40. jorgensen.uconn.edu.
Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.
