It’s a week of singular singer/songwriters: 42 Dugg and other hip-hop artists at The Webster, Ken Carson at the Oakdale Dome, Chris Tomlin at the XL Center, Pokey LaFarge at Infinity Hall Hartford, YJAPOJJ at The Webster, Danny Ocean at the Oakdale Theatre, Cavetown at College Street followed by David Kushner the next day at the same venue and Lee Brice at Foxwoods.
This is not to suggest that this week’s full bands are shabby — try TLC, Duran Duran, The Rock of Ages, Buena Vista Social Orchestra and The Dead South.
All-around entertainer John O’Hurley is also at two locations, Waterbury Palace and Playhouse on Park.
Here are some of the top things to see this week in Connecticut arts.
‘Pinkalicious’
Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, 2132 Hillside Road, Storrs
The touring Vital Theatre Company brings the cupcake-loving children’s book character to life at the University of Connecticut’s Jorgensen Center. Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. $25-$28. jorgensen.uconn.edu.
Stars and Stripes Forever! The Great American Piano
Center Church, 675 Main St., Hartford
Nationally acclaimed local keyboardist Paul Bisaccia plays an all-American set of Scott Joplin, George Gershwin and 19th century composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, John Philip Sousa, Stephen Sondheim and others as well as anthems like the “The Star Spangled Banner” and “Yankee Doodle.” Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. at Center Church. Free. centerchurchhartford.org.
42 Dugg
The Webster, 31 Webster St., Hartford
The Detroit rapper leads a multi-act bill on his “4Eva Us Neva Them” tour with DJ Flex Live, Chicken P, Yungeen Ace, Cartier and Audi.Money. Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. $59.15, $159.15 VIP booth, $809.15 VIP suite. thewebsterct.com.
Ken Carson
Oakdale Theater, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford
Atlanta rapper/producer Ken Carson, known for his electronic sound, plays the Oakdale Dome on Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. on his “Chaos Tour.” concerts.livenation.com.
Richard Termine
The live tour of “Pinkalicious” plays UConn’s Jorgensen Center on Oct. 20 at 2 p.m. (Richard Termine)
Sinatra from A to z: Walt Andrus and the Harold Zinno Jr. Orchestra
Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury
Walt Andrus has been singing the Frank Sinatra songbook for decades and the phrasings come naturally to him. For a concert at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, he’s backed by the Waterbury-based Harol Zinno Jr. Jazz Orchestra. Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. $39. sevenangelstheatre.org.
Lovelytheband and Mod Sun
Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven
California rockers Lovelytheband, of “Broken” fame, headline Toad’s Place with Minnesota singer/songwriter/rapper Mod Sun opening. Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. $41.25-$134.50. toadsplace.com.
‘Saw the Musical’
Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford
The unauthorized musical theater parody of the “Saw” horror films is still playing in New York and is on a national tour. The Infinity Hall stage should be an especially fun place to see it. Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. $47.42-$78.35. infinityhall.com.
‘The 39 Steps’
Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport
The comedy thriller based on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie (which was loosely based on the bestselling John Buchan novel) opens the main stage play season at Westport Playhouse. The show is directed by the theater’s new artistic director, who was in the 2008 Broadway cast of “The 39 Steps” and has directed the play several times around the country. Oct. 22 through Nov. 9. $40-$80. westportplayhouse.org.
Chris Tomlin
XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford
Contemporary Christian music singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin is at the XL Center on Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. The opening act is the trio Cain — the band name is the sisters’ surname, not a biblical reference. xlcenter.com.
Pokey LaFarge
Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford
The dapper ramblin’ hot jazz singer/songwriter brings his traditional musical ways to Infinity Hall with the similarly swingy act The Tailspins opening on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. $37.11. infinityhall.com.
Courtesy of Center Church
Paul Bisaccia plays a concert of American composers from Sousa to Sondheim to Gershwin at Hartford’s Center Church on Oct. 20 at 4 p.m. (Courtesy of Center Church)
YJAPOJJ
The Webster, 31 Webster St., Hartford
The fast-rising hip-hop star from Huntsville, Alabama is coming to The Webster on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. Last year’s “Evolution of Xur” EP yielded the streaming hits “1o” and “You Lookin Gud.” $26.15. thewebsterct.com.
The Dead South
College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven
The Canadian bluegrass/folk act is on its “Chains & Stakes” world tour with opening act Henry Wagons of the band Wagons. Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Danny Ocean
Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford
The Venezuelan singer/songwriter/producer/heartthrob woos an Oakdale crowd with his “Me Rehúso”/”Baby I Won’t” Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. concerts.livenation.com.
Connecticut Forum: Nikole Hannah-Jones and Heather Cox Richardson
The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
The topic of the latest unique Connecticut Forum discussion is “Reflections on a Complex America” and the people holding the conversation are New York Times Magazine writer and 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones and historian Heather Cox Robinson, the Substack “Letters from an American” sensation whose latest book is “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America.” $15-$100. bushnell.org.
Buena Vista Social Orchestra
Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield
Bandleader Jesus “Aguaje” Ramos is one of several members of this ensemble who were part of the “Buena Vista Social Club” film/recording phenomenon in the late 1990s. Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. $50-$70. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’
Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven
The national tour of the Broadway musical about Tina Turner, directed by Phyllida Lloyd with a book by Katori Hall, was at The Bushnell last year and now comes to the Shubert Oct. 24-27 with a different cast. Ike Turner makes a great theater villain. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $53.60-$149.90. shubert.coml.
North County Band
The Palace, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford
North County Band is a local band led by singer/songwriter Scott Smith and fiddler Cat Lines. Their first EP was called “Connecticut” and the new album is title “Lay It on the Line.” North County Band is on a national tour with a stop on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. at the Waterbury Palace. $10. palacestamford.org.
Cavetown
College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven
The uke-playing, synth-looping, guitar-strumming “Frog”-loving British indie singer/songwriter Cavetown is at College Street Music Hall on Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. with Frankie Cosmos opening. $53.66-$130.90. collegestreetmusichall.com.
TLC
Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket
The ‘90s hitmakers TLC — now the duo of T-Boz and Chilli since the tragic death of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes in 2002 — return Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods’ Premier Theater. $61.65-$115.05. livenation.com.
Duran Duran
Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
Those old New Romantics of the ‘80s — Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Simon LeBon — are doing a short jag of U.S. tour dates in October/November, including Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. They don’t shortchange on the old hits but have also continued to release new albums such as last year’s spooky “Danse Macabre.” mohegansun.com.
‘Dracula’
Warner Theatre, 68 Main St., Torrington
Jana Beagley’s adaptation of the Bram Stoker classic features a Countess Dracula rather than a Count. Oct. 25 through Nov. 3 at the Warner Theatre’s Nancy Marine Studio space. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. with a special Halloween night performance on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m. $30. warnertheatre.org.
David Kushner
College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven
The L.A. (by way of Chicago) singer/songwriter David Kushner, known for “Miserable Man,” “Mr. Forgettable” and “Daylight,” is headed to New Haven on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. $43.16-$163.11. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Lee Brice
Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket
Country star Lee Brice, whose hits range from “A Woman Like You” to “One of Them Girls,” from “Hard to Love” to “Love Like Crazy,” from “I Drive Your Truck” to “Parking Lot Party” is at Foxwoods’ Premier Theater on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. $62.70-$173.45. foxwoods.com.
O-Town, Chris Kirkpatrick, LFO, Ryan Cabrera
Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket
Two boy bands that have grown up (O-Town and LFO), one former singer who used to be in a boy band (Chris Kirkpatrick of N*Sync) and one who mostly had a solo career (Ryan Cabrera) bring their Pop 2000 tour to Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. livenation.com.
John Hurley: A Man With Standards
Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury
Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford
John O’Hurley, the actor, singer, cartoon voiceover artist and game show host who attended Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford, brings his concert act to the Waterbury Palace on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ($45-$65; palacetheaterct.org) and then to Playhouse on Park in West Hartford on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. ($52.50-$102.50; playhouseonpark.org).
Hartford Symphony Orchestra Pops: Tales of Halloween
The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
A creepy crawly classical pops concert from the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, conducted by nationally known Connecticut-raised maestro John Jesensky. Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. $28.50-$68.50, $25 under 40, $10 students and children. bushnell.org.
The Rock of Ages Band
Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield
“Rock of Ages” began as an improv-based theater concept shaped around the excesses of 1980s rock. It became a Broadway hit, then a too-slick Hollywood movie. It toured for years, and a vestige of the show still exists in the form of The Rock of Ages Band, hammering out those glam headbanging hits of yore. Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. at the Ridgefield Playhouse. $45-$55. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
