Two big national events hover over this week’s arts picks: the Oscars and St. Patrick’s Day. There are ways to go out and celebrate both while doing more than hanging out at a bar watching TV or drinking green beer.
The Kate in Old Saybrook is hosting both an Oscar party on Sunday and two nights of Irish bands, JigJam on March 13 and Leahy on March 14. The Garde Arts Center in New London, which has been screening Oscar-nominated films on its big screen for weeks (culminating with “American Fiction” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, the day of the Oscars ceremony) has booked the confusingly if amusingly named Celtic (albeit Scottish) band The Red Hot Chilli Pipers on March 16, one day before St. Patrick’s Day.
If movies and jigs and reels don’t float your boat, you can pick from country music (Scotty McCreery at the Oakdale), local dance (Stop Time Dance Theater at Playhouse on Park), ballet (“Cinderella” presented by Misty Copeland at Waterbury Palace), and both John Mellencamp and Itzak Perlman performing in the same week at the Bushnell.
Here are some of the top things to do this week in Connecticut.
Oscar Night Party
Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
This is the 14th annual Oscar Party held at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, a venue named for a Connecticut native who was nominated for 12 of the trophies herself. The party includes fancy hors d’oeuvres and desserts, a cash bar and a chance to dress, take part in an online auction and a raffle and watch the Academy Award ceremony on a big screen with other well-dressed movie buffs. Sunday at 6 p.m. $85. thekate.org.
JigJam
Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
The Kate in Old Saybrook has become one of the most reliable venues in the state when you’re craving nationally or internationally known Irish folk bands during the enchanted month of March. On March 13 at 7:30 p.m., The Kate features the singular Irish bluegrass ensemble JigJam ($40, thekate.org/event/jigjam/). On March 14 at 7:30 p.m., the featured act is the Canadian Celtic folk sextet Leahy ($48, thekate.org/event/leahy/).
John Mellencamp
The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Over his long career, this respected rocker has shifted from radio-friendly pop (as Johnny Cougar) to protest tunes about social issues (as John Cougar Mellencamp) to soul-searching songs and freedom anthems (as John Mellencamp) and beyond. His live shows have always been a mix of all his selves, plus tips of his hat to those who’ve influenced him, a long and varied list that can range from Bob Dylan to the Left Banke. John Mellencamp performs on March 13 at 8 p.m. at The Bushnell. $62-$198. bushnell.org.
Thievery Corporation
Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven
Eric Hilton and Rob Garza, aka the multi-style duo Thievery Corporation, have been on the cutting edge of electronic music since the mid-1990s. The most recent Thievery Corporation album was released in 2020, but Hilton has released four solo albums in the past two years. They continue to experiment with reggae, Middle Eastern, hip hop and especially Brazilian sounds. March 13 at 8 p.m. at Toad’s Place. $45, $39.50 in advance. toadsplace.com/.
Ledisi
Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven
The accomplished soul/jazz singer Ledisi is a fine booking for the historic Shubert in New Haven. Debórah Bond opens her concert on March 13 at 7:30 p.m. shubert.com.
stop/time dance theater: ‘Unpacking’
Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford
Playhouse on Park’s resident dance company, led by the theater’s co-founder Darlene Zoller, performs their latest themed dance concert March 13-24. This year’s general theme is unpacking, which can mean anything from travel adventures to emotional baggage. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. plus an added Saturday matinee March 23 at 2 p.m. $28-$36, $26-$34 students, seniors and military; $18 previews (March 13 and 14). playhouseonpark.org.
Shemekia Copeland
Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford
In the last couple of years, the formidable blues vocalist was named Blues Artist of the Year award by the 2022 Downbeat Critics Poll, won in the Vocals category of the Blues Music Awards and released her 10th studio album “Done Come Too Far.” If you haven’t seen her lately, she’s got a lot of new stuff going on. March 14 at 8 p.m. $38. infinityhall.com.
Disco Biscuits
College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven
The Philadelphia-based jam band Disco Biscuits has been active since the mid-’90s and still boasts three founding members. (The drummer has been around a mere 18 years.) The new Disco Biscuits album “Revolution in Motion” is out this month. Karina Rykman opens the 7:30 p.m. March 14 show at College Street Music Hall. $49.32-$59.62. collegestreetmusichall.com.
Misty Copeland and Open World Dance Foundation present ‘Cinderella’
Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury
The ballet star Misty Copeland helped organize and is hosting this production of Prokofiev’s “Cinderella.” Copeland doesn’t dance, in it but Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside of the American Ballet Theatre do. The production is distinguished by its community outreach, meeting with and supporting young dancers in the area and presenting a pre-show conversation with Copeland. There’s even a raffle. March 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Waterbury Palace. $44-$375. palacetheaterct.org.
Scotty McCreery
Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford
Scotty McCreery, the country music star who won the 10th season of “American Idol,” has a new album out, “Rise and Fall,” and is at the Oakdale in Wallingford on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. $48-$102. concerts.livenation.com.
Red Hot Chili Pipers
Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London
The raucous Scottish ensemble fronted by three bagpipers and backed by a rock band, does hard rock covers as well as more traditional tunes. They’ve toured internationally for over a decade and often find themselves in the U.S. at this time of year. Red Hot Chilli Pipers rock the Garde in New London on March 16 at 8 p.m. $37-$64. gardearts.org.
Roy Wood Jr.
Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Shoreline Trolley Blvd., Mashantucket
Roy Wood Jr. stopped being a “Daily Show” correspondent last year during the endless on-air auditions for a new host that ended last month with the return of former anchor Jon Stewart. You can see him live, though, back on the road with his “Happy to Be Here” tour on March 16 at 8 p.m. at Foxwoods’ Great Cedar Showroom. $44-$74. foxwoods.com.
Itzhak Perlman in Recital
The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
The world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman is bringing another of his intimate “recital” concerts to Connecticut, just a few months after he did one in Ridgefield. The recital is co-presented by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Bushnell. March 16 at 7:30 p.m. $48-$143. bushnell.org.
