Local Production Takes Stage
A new musical will be staged for the first time this coming weekend at Cross & Resurrection Lutheran Church in Ypsilanti, Mich. (a.k.a. the Ann Street Music Room). The musical, “One Sleepy Night” features 13 original songs and a 30-member cast. It features local actors and musicians, including Jay Sappington (co-composer), 11-year-old Charity Schindel (daughter of Senior Pastor Rev. Brian Schindel), and comic actress Kathy Badgerow. Members of the church are making a significant contribution to the production as cast and are involved in costumes, lighting, sound, stage management, and marketing.
Setting the Scene
The play opens with Grandpa Benny Wilson becoming reclusive, choosing to spend more time tinkering with his telescope than in the chaos of the last-minute holiday tasks. His wife, Jeannie, reveals that she is frustrated with her husband who always seems to have his head in the clouds. As the family leaves to go shopping, Grandpa stays behind with his granddaughter Suzy to decorate the Christmas tree.
As they decorate, Grandpa and Suzy begin discussing the real story of Christmas. Looking through Grandpa’s telescope, they enter an ancient world full of break-dancing angels, bossy shepherds, and charismatic wise men. Through this journey, the family discovers the gift of love that came late “One Sleepy Night,” and, to their surprise, they are reunited.
It is the hope of the cast and congregation that the light of Christ will shine through this entertaining musical as they touch the lives of families in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and beyond.
Tickets and More Information
“One Sleepy Night” premieres at the Ann Street Music Room with evening performances December 5-7 beginning at 7 p.m. and a matinee performance on December 7 at 2 p.m.
An additional Gala performance will take place at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on December 14 at 7 p.m. where you will also be able to meet Blitzen, a reindeer from the North Pole via Carousel Acre Farms in South Lyon, Mich.
Tickets may be purchased online at www.onesleepynight.com/tickets or by phone at 734.973.6010. A portion of each ticket goes to serve kids locally through The St. Louis Center in Chelsea, Mich. and internationally through Bethania Kids in India. Financial supporters of the project include Wellspring Lutheran Services.
