Everything old is new again. Dinosaurs walk the stage. A 15th-century yuletide pageant is the basis of a modern local church tradition. A classical instrument gets looped and sampled. Impersonators of pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll are headlining contemporary concert stages and art from a country that was once under British rule takes on a new context.
As the arts in Connecticut get going in the New Year after a bit of a holiday break, familiar and reassuring art forms can be seen in a different light in unexpected locations.
The dinosaurs are part of the “Dinosaur World Live” tour, a family-friendly show which may astound with the scale (and scales!) of these gigantic representations of prehistoric beasts.
OkCello is one of a number of talented classical artists who experiment with modern sound technology like samples and loops. He comes to the Shubert Theatre in New Haven just weeks after that same theater hosted a hip-hop orchestra.
The annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival at Asylum Hill Church has its roots in solstice-time gatherings of half a millennia ago. As a contemporary church pageant, it evokes the parts of Connecticut that are still rural and natural, since a live camel and chickens make appearances alongside the Biblical characters.
The Yale Center for British Art is on a roll with a bunch of spectacular exhibits since its grand reopening last year following a year of extensive renovations. The museum has never shied away from the more problematic areas of British art history, including art made in countries that Englands conquered or colonized. “Painters, Ports, and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750-1850” promises to be a thoughtful reflection on how England’s commercial and cultural interests affected India in the 18th and 19th centuries.
‘Salons at Stowe’
Stowe Center for Literary Activism, 77 Forest St., Hartford
The Stowe Center for Literary Activism begins a new discussion series, “Salons at Stowe,” with the provocative theme “What happens when you’re not seen as human enough?” The event is hosted by artist Amanda Mendoza (whose work is currently on view at the center) and dialogue facilitator Derek Hall. Jan. 7 at 6 p.m. Free. stowecenter.org.
‘Painters, Ports, and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750-1850’
Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven
The Yale Center for British Art opens its new exhibit “Painters, Ports, and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750-1850” on Jan. 8, and it’s up through June 21. Visiting hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. britishart.yale.edu.
The new Yale Center for British Art exhibit “Painters, Ports, and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750-1850,” which includes the 18th century artwork “Yellow-eyed-Babbler Perched on Chinese Hat Plant,” opens on Jan. 8. (Courtesy of Yale Center for British Art)
Okorie ‘OkCello’ Johnson
Shubert Theater, 27 College St., New Haven
The modern day hipster cellist OkCello works with loops, samples, multiple musical genres and storytelling patter. Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. $26.50-$36.50. shubert.com.
Ana Popovic
FTC Stage One, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield
Belgravian electric blues/jazz guitarist Ana Popovic returns to Connecticut where she has a loyal following. Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. $46-$56. spaceballroom.com.
Kayo Dot
Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St., Hamden
The ever-changing sound sculptures of Kayo Dot has spanned 22 years and nearly a dozen albums. The latest is “Every Rock, Every Half-Truth Under Reason.” The band, led by multi-instrumentalist/composer Toby Driver, is on a national album release tour. The Space Ballroom stop features two opening acts, Tongue Depressor and Sea of Bones. Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. $32.34. spaceballroom.com.
One Night in Memphis
Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
The phenomenon of Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley hanging out together began with a real-life jam session at Sun Studios in 1954. That summit meeting of rock legends formed the basis of the Broadway musical “Million Dollar Quartet” in 2010, which in turn inspired a stream of concerts by roots and rockabilly aficionados playing the same classic songs. One Night in Memphis is a touring lineup of artists evoking the 1950s Sun studios roots of Perkins, Cash, Lewis and Presley. Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. $69. thekate.org.
‘Dinosaur World Live’
Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London
Warner Theatre, 68 Main St., Torrington
Giant kid-friendly dinosaurs roam two theater stages in the coming days. Jan. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Garde Arts Center in New London ($32-$83, gardearts.org), then Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Warner Theatre in Torrington ($32-$56, warnertheatre.org).
Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival
Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Ave., Hartford
The Christmas pageant with a real live camel, not to mention singers, dancers, acrobats and 15th-century trappings, tells the story of the Three Kings at Asylum Hill Church. Jan. 10 at 3 p.m. $27-$32. ahcc.org.
From left: Reid Perry, Kimberly Perry and Neil Perry of The Band Perry, pictured at the 2013 CMT Music Awards, are performing at the Palace Theater in Stamford on Jan. 10. (Photo by Donn Jones/Invision/AP)
Luciano
The Webster, 31 Webster St., Hartford
The Webster hosts a reggae night with Jamaican singer/songwriter Luciano on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. $34.15-$49.15; $759.15 for VIP suite.thewebsterct.com.
The Band Perry
Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford
Kimberly Perry and her siblings have sold millions of records as The Band Perry and are responsible for the international hit “If I Die Young.” Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. $76.40-$95.80. palacestamford.org.
Vixen
Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
The famed female metal band from the 1980s, Vixen is still rocking and has a free show at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. Free. mohegansun.com.
Griffin Benton
Cafe Nine, 250 State St., New Haven
Rough-hewn Detroit singer/songwriter/guitarist Griffin Benton, who cites Tom Waits and Queens of the Stone Age as influences, rocks the intimate Cafe Nine with opening acts Pond View and VFK. Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. $10. cafenine.com.