CT arts picks: comedy, improv, musical

Hartford Courant’s May 16 roundup pointed readers to a Connecticut arts week that narrows, by the coming weekend, into three clear lanes: touring stand-up, a detective-style improv show and a pickleball spoof musical. The listings run through Saturday, May 23, with events spread from Foxwoods in Mashantucket to Sea Tea Comedy Theater in Hartford and The Kate in Old Saybrook. Marcello Hernández, Learnmore Jonasi and the creators behind “The Super Pickle” are among the names on those calendars. ### Where does the comedy part of the week land? Foxwoods lists Marcello Hernández for May 23 at its Premier Theater in Mashantucket, with two performances that night shown by ticketing sites at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Hernández is a stand-up comic and “Saturday Night Live” cast member whose Connecticut stop appears in the same late-week window as the Courant roundup. Hartford Funny Bone in Manchester lists Learnmore Jonasi for four shows across May 22 and May 23. (digitaledition.courant.com) The club calendar shows Friday sets at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., followed by Saturday sets at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The venue lists tickets at $30 to $35 and marks the event 21 and up. Learnmore Jonasi’s artist page describes him as a Zimbabwean stand-up comedian and actor and says he won the 2023 Boston Comedy Festival. The Hartford Funny Bone listing also says he placed fifth on “America’s Got Talent” in 2024 after receiving a Golden Buzzer. (ticketsmarter.com) ### What is the murder-mystery improv show? Sea Tea Improv schedules “Murder, They Improvised — An Improv Comedy Murder Mystery Show” for Saturday, May 23 at 9 p.m. at Sea Tea Comedy Theater, 15 Asylum Street in Hartford. (hartford.funnybone.com) The company describes the format as a detective-led mystery in the style of Agatha Christie and “Knives Out,” with a randomly selected murderer known only to that performer until the end. Sea Tea says tickets are $10 plus fees. (hartford.funnybone.com) The theater page describes the Hartford room as an 80-seat venue that hosts multiple original comedy shows each week. ### What is the pickleball musical doing in the lineup? The Kate lists “The Super Pickle: A Hilarious Pickleball Musical Parody” for Thursday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Old Saybrook. The venue describes the show as a new comedy built around the pickleball boom, with pop-song parodies and a matchup between veteran players and newcomers. (seateaimprov.com) CTvisit carries the same event description and date. The language in both listings presents the production as a touring parody rather than a long-run Connecticut company show. (seateaimprov.com) ### How spread out are these picks across the state? Manchester, Hartford, Old Saybrook and Mashantucket all appear in this stretch of listings, giving the week a corridor that runs from central Connecticut to the shoreline and southeastern casino venues. Hartford Funny Bone is at 194 Buckland Hills Drive in Manchester, Sea Tea Comedy Theater is on Asylum Street in Hartford, and The Kate’s event page places “The Super Pickle” in Old Saybrook. (thekate.org) (ctvisit.com) Foxwoods’ events pages place its entertainment venues in Mashantucket, with Premier Theater tied to parking at the Fox Tower. That puts the Hernández date at the southeastern end of the week’s featured slate. ### What should readers watch for next? May 21 is the date for “The Super Pickle” at The Kate, and May 22-23 are the dates for Learnmore Jonasi at Hartford Funny Bone. Saturday, May 23 then carries both Sea Tea’s 9 p.m. “Murder, They Improvised” in Hartford and Marcello Hernández’s Foxwoods performances in Mashantucket, according to the venue and event listings. (hartford.funnybone.com) (thekate.org) (foxwoods.com)