It’s an original Christmas musical that will be live on stage in Detroit Christmas 2023.

To bring together an intergenerational, multi-cultural audience to experience a glorious night of entertainment and inspiration and discover the gift of love that came down from heaven to earth late One Sleepy Night.

To change the way we experience Christmas and facilitate people making new friendships.

To take One Sleepy Night to towns and cities across America and beyond—in various cultural versions.

This is an exciting effort that brings together artists in the black community with other multi-ethnic creatives to produce a unique show and in the process grow personal friendships that deepen community. The musical itself shares the life-transforming news of the birth of Jesus through a memorable, comedic musical theatre experience that delights the audience and builds cross-cultural bridges.

This is the story of how Grandpa Benny Wilson, struggling in retirement with his life and his wife, discovers that his granddaughter Shantelle doesn’t know the story of Christmas.

Through the magic of his telescope, the characters in the modern story become figures in the ancient story. Grandpa becomes Kaspar, the head Wiseman. LaToya, his wife, becomes Mrs. K. and Shantelle becomes the Boss Shepherd who bosses her three older brothers.

Through a series of mishaps, all roads eventually lead to Bethlehem where a glorious discovery is made at the manger. The scene changes back to the modern story where insights from the ancient journey—and in a check-out line—reunite Benny and LaToya and with them the whole family in joy and love.

This title signals that the contemporary story takes place in Detroit and reflects a multi-ethnic experience centered around a black family.  The music of all original pieces draws from the rich tradition that has sprung from Detroit but also breaks new ground in its own upbeat and energetic style.

The original full-length One Sleepy Night musical was first performed in 2013 in a small theater venue in Ypsilanti, the Ann Street Music Room, and then for a gala performance at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. At this performance, despite it being the night of the biggest snowstorm of the year, over 500 people made it to the show. Children attending were greeted as they walked up to the theater by Blitzen, the reindeer, with an attending elf. Everyone would soon be delighted as the story unfolded on the big stage. After that magical evening, the show went to sleep. It is now waking up for a 10^th anniversary debut with a new Detroit vibe and setting.

They will be performed in Detroit at the Garden Theater December 6-9  thegardendetroit.com and at the Music Hall December 15. musichall.org

 Tickets will be available online through Ticketmaster starting September 2023.

There are 30 cast members including 5 hip hop angel dancers. There will also be a chorus of shoppers that also sing as the angel choir. We’re hoping for a chorus of 60.

It’s a full-length musical with a 15- minute intermission.

Yes. There will be two “Taste of One Sleepy Night” live events on April 21 in Ann Arbor and May 19^th in Detroit.

These are in-person events where you will enjoy dessert and hot drinks, meet the leadership team, and go into the theater to enjoy a live band and vocal performers share a “taste of” what the entire musical will be like through a performance of six exciting songs.

Tickets are free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors.                                              

Our leadership team has a very strong and diverse background in theater, business, and outreach. Some of the key individuals include:

Tyrone Kelsey, Managing Producer
Carol Hart, Executive Producer
Karen Beaton, Show Producer
Constance Dunham, Hospitality Producer
Darell “Red” Campbell, Music Director & Composer
Jon Dixon, Co-Composer
Daniele Siliquini, Arranger
Kenny Watson, Vocals consultant
Khary Frazier, Talent consultant
Don Hart, Artistic Director

This is first a partnership with local churches and all those who want to provide a family-friendly, joy-filled, uplifting Christmas experience for those they know. We are also grateful for our corporate sponsors. Of course, this effort couldn’t succeed without the active support of hundreds of families and individuals.

The first main way is to collaborate with local congregations in the greater Detroit area to spread the word, bring their families, and invite others to attend. We will communicate with them in a coordinated fashion through Church Champions in each fellowship. We will also have a broader promotional campaign that will get the word out through social media, online advertising, radio, television, and outdoor billboards. Please let us know if you would like to serve as a Church Champion. Click here to go to the contact form and mark “church champion.”

It begins with our Leadership Team—both artistic and production leaders. As we work together and shape this project, we get to know each other as individuals with our various strengths, life experiences, preferences, quirks, biases, misconceptions, expectations, and dreams. By encountering and overcoming various creative and production obstacles together we are forging stronger relationships of trust and common understanding. We’re going to make many mistakes with one another along the way, but we are discovering as a team the gift of love that came down from heaven to earth late One Sleepy Night, operative in our midst.

From our leadership team, it flows out to our cast, musicians, and crew. To deliver this show, they will need to come together as an ensemble, as a show family that will be there for each other on behalf of the audience.

Through our Church Champions, we also hope that various churches will make new connections with other congregations and parishes as partners to promote and attend the event.

We also hope that our example will encourage those who hear about this effort and attend the shows to consider how they can meet, interact with, and better understand people with different cultural or ethnic backgrounds that are within their circle of influence.

Click on the Contact form and indicate there how you would like to be involved. You can also subscribe to our email list to stay updated on developments heading toward Christmas.

Yes. They can give to our partnering non-profit called New Creation Project. It is a 501c3 Michigan non-profit. You can donate directly by clicking on the “Donate” button. One-time and recurring donations are welcomed!

New Creation Project (NCP) is a federally certified 501c3 non-profit. Its EIN is 86-3159165. This non-profit was formed in 2022 to support projects like One Sleepy Night – Detroit. NCP’s mission is to build community through projects in entertainment and education. Projects that are creative, “new creations,” and at the same time that help renew people so that they go forward as “new creations.” 

Hart Entertainment L3C (HEC) is the low-profit, limited liability company that New Creation Project is partnering with to produce the show. Hart Entertainment through its network of production partners will do the actual producing of the show. Funds will be directed by New Creation Project to HEC for those purposes. 

Our team humbly undertakes this task. We know that without the good will of many and the inspiration and strength that comes from God alone, we will not be able to accomplish this. But we take on the conviction that, as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “With God, nothing is impossible.”