From Disney on Ice to the Blue Man Group, the new year comes in with a bang this week in CT arts
Happy New Year #HappyNewYear
Happy new year! It’s a colorful time of year, with Blue Man Group, a Green Day tribute (as part of a ‘90s punk/emo bash at the Webster), the larger-than-life skating cartoons of Disney on Ice and a concert version of the pointillist painting musical “Sunday in the Park with George.”
However, you might have to wait a few days for the events to blossom. Arts-wise, the first few days of any new year are pretty quiet, following the closings of Christmas shows and the party happiness of New Year’s Eve. Things begin to pick up mid-week, and by Saturday there are plenty of strong going-out choices again, especially in the music clubs.
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Here are some of the top things to do and see this week in Connecticut arts.
Two strong local singer/songwriters who frequently front their own bands share a bill as solo acts on Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. at Cafe Nine. Ashley Hamel works in many styles, including the subgenre of Harry Potter-themed pop (as “Ashley Trix & the WZRDS). S.G. Carlson’s bands include The Tines, Ports of Spain and The Proud Flesh, and he’s also an acclaimed producer and recording engineer. cafenine.com.
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Amid all the hockey matches at the XL Center, there’s a skating event where the participants are costumed as mice, ducks, princesses and even a meerkat and a warthog. Ideal for the first week of the new year, this edition of the rink-based variety show is called “Let’s Celebrate.” There are seven performances from Jan. 5-8: Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at noon and 4 p.m. $19-$119. https://www.xlcenter.com/events/detail/disney-on-ice-lets-celebrate-2023.
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Big Jay Oakerson has lots of ways of making you laugh: TV specials, several podcasts he hosts, his own radio show on Sirius, political humor, physical comedy and “crowd work” improv like he used on his series “Big Jay Oakerson’s What’s Your F@%king Deal?!” For the last 20 years, he’s mostly been doing stand-up. He’s at Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. $39. foxwoods.com.
It used to be that magic shows would feature a single magician. Now they seem to travel in packs. “Champions of Magic” is a five-person ensemble of Hollie England, Alex McAleer, Fernando Velasco and the duo known as “Young & Strange,” who collectively cover all the mysterious arts of prestidigitation, illusions, mindreading and escape tricks. Jan. 6 at 8 p.m., Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at Foxwoods Resort Casino’s Great Cedar Showroom. $35-$70. foxwoods.com.
The powerhouse indie-pop duo of Derek Holcomb (on guitar and vocals) and Tom Dans (on drums and backing vocals) have been New Haven local pop icons since the 1970s. Other local bands lionized them with a tribute album in 2003. Classic Furors songs include “A Thing for Blondes,” “Joni” and “How Pretty You Were When I Cared.” Holcomb and Dans return to the intimate Best Video performance space in Hamden on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. $10. bestvideo.com.
Blue Man Group was created in the 1980s by a trio of creatively driven friends which included Wesleyan University grad Chris Wink. One of the troupe’s first shows was opening for Cyndi Lauper at Toad’s Place in New Haven. Within a few years, they had companies performing in New York, Boston, Chicago and around the world. Many performers have been painted blue and trained in the fine arts of paint drumming, wall climbing and ping pong ball spitting. The magical, mystical and above all musical Blue Man Group regularly creates new routines to dazzle its loyal audiences. The show at the Shubert in New Haven on Jan. 6-8 is billed as “Still blue. The rest is new.” There are four performances: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $44-$109. shubert.com.
The Connecticut-based Brief Cameo Productions theater company is doing a concert version (i.e. no sets, costumes or elaborate staging) of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical about the painter Georges Seurat, “Sunday in the Park with George.” The concert, directed by Alan Piotrowicz with music direction by Jill Brunelle, has a full cast and a live stage orchestra. There are two performances, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. and Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. at the Ivoryton Playhouse in the Ivoryton section of Essex. briefcameoproductions.com.
Young country star Avery Anna was born in Arizona and now resides in Nashville. Like many stars of this era, she grew famous by posting videos of herself singing at home as a child. Her latest EP is “Mood Swings.” She swings into Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den for a free show on Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. mohegansun.com.
Comedian Vincent James grew up on Long Island, so Stamford was among his stomping grounds when he was starting out. He’s performing on Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Stamford Palace as part of the theater’s “Laughtrax” series. $19. palacestamford.org.
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The Warped Tour is no more, but The Warped Tour Band has formed as a tribute to some of its best-known performers such as Good Charlotte, Taking Back Sunday, Simple Plan, New Found Glory, My Chemical Romance and Sum 41. The band plays Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. at Hartford’s Webster Theater, a venue where many Warped Tour veterans have played over the years. Fittingly for a tribute to mainstream ‘90s punk and emo, the opening acts are a Blink 182 tribute band (All the Blink Things) and a Green Day tribute band (182Dookie). $17. webstertheater.com.
Reach reporter Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.