CT arts picks hit the right notes for piano enthusiasts, metalheads and movie buffs

Two fine pianists — Todd Alsup playing the works of Elton John and Brad Mehldau being the incomparable Brad Mehldau — anchor this week’s list of the best live arts shows in Connecticut.

If piano’s not your bag, there’s the high-end folk/jam band Midnight North at Infinity Hall Hartford, two sterling metalcore bands at The Webster, a contemporary bluegrass act at College Street Music Hall and a young Irish singer/songwriter at the Space Ballroom.

You can also catch a couple of recently anointed Oscar-nominated movies in an old-school movie palace in New London or see a classic comedy play that was loosely based on a real-life Connecticut murder case.

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

Brad Mehldau Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield

Brad Mehldau is a singular modern pianist who can transform classical refrains, pop melodies, jazz riffs or minimalist compositions into something all his own. The Ridgefield Playhouse is an excellent venue to catch Mehldau at, somewhere in between a club and a concert hall. Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. $55-$85. ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

Metalcore Dropouts tour The Webster, 31 Webster St., Hartford

The current leg of the Metalcore Dropouts tour is headlined by The Devil Wears Prada and Fit for a King. They may sound like titles on a chick-lit bookshelf but both have been banging heads since the mid-2000s and were on the Warped Tour several times. The Webster stop on the tour, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m., also features Counterparts and Avoid. $32; $500 for a VIP booth, $1,000 for a VIP suite. thewebsterct.com.

Darren Kiely Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden

Contemporary Irish folk singer/songwriter Darren Kiely comes from County Cork and sells out shows throughout his native land. He now lives in the U.S., has amassed millions of streams for such songs as “How Could You Love Me,” “Ella” and “Time to Leave” and is bringing his guitar (he also plays fiddle and tin whistle) to the Space Ballroom in Hamden on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. $20. spaceballroom.com.

Greensky Bluegrass College Street Music Hall, 238 College St., New Haven

The post-bluegrass ensemble Greensky Bluegrass has messed with tradition and found a sound that folks have been longing for. The band returns to College Street Music Hall on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m., two years after releasing their latest album “Stress Dreams.” $35-$49.50. collegestreetmusichall.com.

Midnight North Infinity Hall, 32 Front St., Hartford

Midnight North is a San Francisco Bay Area band with multiple connections to the Grateful Dead. One of the band’s founders is Grahame Lesh, son of Phil Lesh. Another is singer/songwriter Elliott Peck, who has sung with Lesh, Bob Weir and others. A song on the latest Midnight North album is scored to recently discovered lyrics by longtime Dead collaborator Robert Hunter. Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. $22. infinityhall.com.

Winter Cinema Series Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London

The “Barbenheimer” phenomenon is repeating itself. The two very different films premiered on the same weekend in July amid all sorts of jokes about the juxtaposition and speculation on their commercial chances. Both became blockbuster hits. Now the Garde Arts Center’s Breezeline-sponsored Winter Cinema Series is bringing them close together again, screening “Barbie” on Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and “Oppenheimer” on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for each film are $15. gardearts.org.

‘Arsenic & Old Lace’ Curtain Call, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford

“Arsenic & Old Lace” isn’t just one of the creepiest classic comedies in American theater history, it’s based on an actual murder case in Connecticut. Over 60 people died at the Archer Home for Elderly People and Chronic Invalids in Windsor between 1908 and 1916. It turns out that a good number of them had been poisoned with arsenic. Playwright Joseph Kesselring took that as inspiration for a wild comedy about two elderly sisters who manage the tenants at their boarding house by evicting some of them right into the grave. The community theater Curtain Inc. digs up this ghoulish delight Feb. 2-17. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $41, $31 seniors, $23 students. curtaincallinc.com.

Ari Shaffir Foxwoods Resort Casino, 350 Shoreline Trolley Blvd., Mashantucket

Ari Shaffir sounds pretty spontaneous when he appears on Joe Rogan’s podcast, but he’s also a seasoned, well-prepared long-form-style standup comic whose TV specials have been acclaimed for smart, cogent, deep observations that are nonetheless hilarious. He has his own podcast, “Ari Shaffir’s Skeptic Tank,” and used to host the “This Is Not Happening” storytelling series on Comedy Central. A caveat is offered for this tour: “The deal is, this is a dirty show. It’s not completely offensive but definitely some parts are offensive. So don’t bring that one friend in your friend group who makes that tsk noise a lot.” Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. $44-$70. foxwoods.com.

Elton Undressed Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury

When Todd Alsup first started doing his Elton John tribute act just a couple of years ago, the real Elton John was still touring. In July, the superstar’s 330-date farewell tour ended. Tribute acts are what’s left, live-wise. Alsup’s was created with TheaterWorks director Rob Ruggiero and played at TheaterWorks in 2022. Now the New York-based Alsup returns to Connecticut for a single night at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury on Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. $35. sevenangelstheatre.org.