Arsenic and Old Lace

The farcically macabre classic Arsenic and Old Lace kicks off the 31st season of the New York State Theatre Institute. The tale, which originally opened on Broadway in 1941, follows the escapades of the grandmotherly Brewster sisters who have taken up the charitable cause of poisoning lonely old men. Their three nephews round out the mayhem. One believes he is Teddy Roosevelt, burying yellow-fever victims in the Panama Canal. A second arrives with a corpse of his own, while the third attempts to manage the domestic madness and the ebullient affections of his new fiancée. Arsenic and Old Lace is a comedy classic.

Arsenic and Old Lace opens at NYSTI (Schact Fine Arts Center, Division Street, Troy) on Saturday (Oct. 13) at 8 PM and runs through Oct. 24. Tickets are $20 for adults, $16 for students and seniors, and $10 for children to age 12. For showtimes and more info or to make reservations, call the NYSTI box office at 374-3256.

Queens of the Stone Age

The sounds of the California desert, such as they are, will come alive this Wednesday when Josh Homme and the Queens of the Stone Age roll into Northern Lights. Frankly, we’re surprised to see them still playing on the club level—in the year following the breakthrough Songs for the Deaf album, the Queens appeared poised to take over the rock universe. But things happen: For instance, the firing of band cofounder Nick Oliveri; a rather lackluster follow-up (Lullabies to Paralyze); and the unreliable short-term memory of the listening public. Still, they’re a badass live band, and their recent Era Vulgaris is their best disc in years, so if you have a fever for the flavor of the rock, look no further.

Queens of the Stone Age, plus guests the Black Angels, the Clay People and Biffy Clyro, perform this Wednesday (Oct. 17) at Northern Lights (1208 Route 146, Clifton Park). Tickets for the 8 PM show are $22. To reserve tickets or for more info, call the box office at 371-0012.

Ultimate Terrors

It’s October, month of harvest, falling leaves, and ghastly, bloody horrors. Ultimate Terrors has returned to the Altamont “Scaregrounds” for another frightening Halloween season. Ultimate Terrors is based around the creepy legend of the Skull family, and features the area’s largest haunted house (more than 3,100 square feet), a mad scientist’s laboratory-gone-wrong, and a stadium length maze of “3-D Chaos,” not to mention an explosive fire show, psychic readings, black light paintball, stage shows, food, and more.

Ultimate Terrors is open for scaring Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Oct. 28 at the Altamont Fairgrounds (129 Grand St., Altamont). Parking lots open at 6 PM, admission and attractions begin at 6:30, Haunted Houses open at 7. Admission ends at 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 9:30 PM on Sundays. Tickets are $21 for adults, $16 for children ages 6-10 and free for children under 5. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For more info, go to www.ultimateterrors.com.