Music, comedy and family favorites fill the air this week in CT arts

The music and comedy offerings are heating up in Connecticut, while the theater season is drawing to a close.

While Hartford Stage and ] other theaters still have a show to go after their current one, the Yale Rep‘s four-play season is ending with Lloyd Suh’s “The Far Country.”

“Sesame Street Live!” and “PAW Patrol Live!” are happening one week apart at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford.

Two performers whose careers were born through social media, singer-songwriter Alex Warren and comedian Randy Rainbow, are performing one day apart at different venues in New Haven.

The week also features a tribute to British pop legend XTC (featuring XTC’s original drummer) at the Space Ballroom, Polish death metal icons Decapitated at The Webster and Mexico’s magnificent Los Tigres del Norte at the XL Center.

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

‘Sesame Street Live! Say Hello’ Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford

“Sesame Street” has been around as a TV show since 1969 and as a live touring show since 1980. This edition stars Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster, involves some dancing and has two performances, April 21 at 1 and 5 p.m. $33-$78. concerts.livenation.com.

Decapitated The Webster, 31 Webster St., Hartford

The revered Polish death metal band Decapitated, still led by founding guitarist/songwriter Vogg, is on its latest U.S. tour charmingly titled “Cancer Culture Over North America.” Further death imagery and punishingly loud sounds come courtesy of opening acts Septicflesh (from Athens, Greece), Kataklysm (from Canada) and Allegaeon (from Colorado). The long dark evening starts April 25 at 6:30 p.m. at the best venue in the state for such things, The Webster. $32; $800 VIP booth; $1,500 VIP suite. thewebsterct.com/event/decapitated-cancer-culture-over-north-america-2024/the-webster/.

Nate Jackson The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford

Comedian and actor Nate Jackson, whom you might know as the Junk Yard Dog on TV’s “The Young Rock,” brings his “Super Funny World Tour” to The Bushnell on April 26 at 7 p.m. $55-$65. A post-show meet and greet is an additional $56.50. bushnell.org

EXTC Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden

At the height of the band’s career, British new wave pop exemplars XTC couldn’t tour due to main songwriter Andy Partridge’s mental and physical issues. Now Terry Chambers, XTC’s drummer from their first album in 1978 through “Mummer” in 1983, has put together a band, cleverly called EXTC, that lets you hear what XTC classics from “This Is Pop” and “Senses Working Overtime” through “Life Begins at the Hop” and “Making Plans for Nigel” to “Mayor of Simpleton” and “Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” sound like live. April 26 at 8 p.m. at the Space Ballroom in Hamden. $35, $30 in advance. spaceballroom.com.

Alex Warren Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven

Social media star and pop balladeer Alex Warren has a show on April 26 at 8 p.m. at Toad’s Place. His music has an intimacy that makes you want to see him somewhere else than a screen. His songs include “One More I Love You,” “Change Your Mind” and “Before You Leave Me.” $30, $25 in advance. toadsplace.com.

‘The Far Country’ Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven

The Long Wharf Theatre did a splendid production of Lloyd Suh’s “The Chinese Lady” a few years ago. Now a different New Haven-based theater, the Yale Rep, is doing Suh’s “The Far Country,” about a Chinese family in a detention center in San Francisco looking to enter the U.S. following the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which restricted immigrants based on race. April 26-May 18. Performances are Mondays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m., with an added matinee on May 8 at 2 p.m. There is no Saturday matinee on April 27. $15-$65. yalerep.org.

‘Grease’ Wilton Playshop, 15 Lovers Lane, Wilton

Go Greased Lightning! The corridors of Rydell High are rocking again in this community theater production of the ever-popular musical about teen life in the 1950s. April 26-May 11. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. $35, $30 for seniors and youth. wiltonplayshop.org.

Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook

“Pure Imagination,” the spring concert from the 38-year-old Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus, is subtitled “A Magical Musical Journey” and described as reflecting “a world of dreams, illusion and fantasy.” April 27 at 3 and 8 p.m. ($39, thekate.org). Also May 11 at Sacred Heart University’s Community Theater in Fairfield ($35, shucommunitytheatre.showare.com).

Randy Rainbow Shubert Theatre, 247 College St., New Haven

The fabulously prolific social media poster, pop parodist and political humorist brings his mock campaign “Randy Rainbow for President” to the Shubert in New Haven. This is an extension of a timely tour that has already played Connecticut twice. April 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Shubert. $49.40-$210.60. shubert.com.

Los Tigres del Norte XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford

The Mexican-American música norteña band Los Tigres del Norte has sold tens of millions of records since it formed in the late 1960s. They’re known for songs that reflect real-world social issues. Some of those songs have been turned into movies, and Los Tigres del Norte stars in some of them. Hartford’s large Latino community welcomes the legendary band to the XL Center on April 27 at 8:30 p.m. $70-$311.50. xlcenter.com.

‘PAW Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure’ Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Road, Wallingford

The second big children’s show at the Oakdale this week (following Sesame Street Live! on Sunday) is the latest live tour of the iconic canine adventure show PAW Patrol Live! This time they’re on a pirate ship. April 27 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and April 28 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. $35-$159. concerts.livenation.com.