Artelize - Unforgettable Performances: From Ruby's Story to Jazz Jams at Detroit's Music Hall
main-artelize-logo

Featured

Unforgettable Performances: From Ruby's Story to Jazz Jams at Detroit's Music Hall

Detroit's Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is buzzing with a vibrant lineup of events that promise to captivate audiences from all walks of life. In 2025, the venue hosts a range of performances, starting with the celebration of Lunar New Year, to the poignant musical retelling of Ruby McCollum's story. Alongside, the venue offers a jazz jam experience, comedy shows, and even a cosmic adventure for children. Each event uniquely contributes to the cultural tapestry, highlighting extraordinary talents and timeless themes that resonate deeply.

Jan 15, 2025
frame icon Share
titleImage
Jan 24, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

2. Ruby - the Musical
Ruby is a musical retelling of the true story of Ruby McCollum, a prosperous Black woman accused of murdering a white doctor in Live Oak, Florida, in 1952. This compelling narrative explores the deep-rooted racism in American life, particularly in the South, as the nation moved from the post-Civil War ‘Black Codes’ through the Jim Crow era and into a time of heightened Ku Klux Klan activity. The musical vividly brings Ruby’s story to life with emotionally charged, original compositions that reflect the era’s struggles and injustices. It also highlights extraordinary Black talent, both on stage and behind the scenes, delivering powerful performances that capture the significance of Ruby McCollum’s story in American history.
titleImage
7 - 9 Feb, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

3. Aretha's Jazz Jam 2025
The jam session has always occupied an important place in the history of jazz education, giving young musicians the open-access training they need to develop their craft while learning from more experienced peers. Students develop the confidence needed to survive the night, playing different tunes in unfamiliar keys, with difficult tempos, in front of an audience, oftentimes alongside virtual strangers – they begin to speak the language that only other jazz players understand. As the experienced and new musicians mingle socially and musically, they carry on the legacy of a ‘bandstand education’ that has nurtured the art form for ages. Bebop, credited largely to Charlie Parker, was actually developed and refined by the group of players at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem – Dizzy Gillespie and others passing along to the next generation the wisdom that they gathered from those before them. Directed by the renowned musician and educator Scott Gwinnell, Aretha’s Jazz Café hosts Jazz Jams every Sunday evening at 6pm. It’s our way of keeping jazz in the present instead of the past.
titleImage
Feb 26 - Oct 26, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

titleImage
6 - 8 Mar, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

5. Joe Gatto: Let’s Get Into It
Joe Gatto is a comedian best known from the hit TV shows “Impractical Jokers” and “The Misery Index.” Most recently, he toured for two years with his stand-up solo show “Joe Gatto’s Night of Comedy” in sold out theaters across the United States, Canada and Australia. Prior to that, he has toured with the Jokers live comedy show to sold-out crowds across the world, including legendary arenas, such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London. Joe is passionate about supporting anti-bullying organizations and animal rescue initiatives. He happily advocates for the “Adopt, Don’t Shop” movement with his non-profit Gatto Pups and Friends founded in 2022 which operates on Long Island, NY focusing on mainly senior and unwanted dogs. Joe also hosts a popular comedy podcast called "Two Cool Moms" on the iHeart Radio Podcast Network where he and his co-host dispenses sage motherly advice to fans who write in with their dilemmas. An accomplished author of two titles - his self published book “The Dogfather: My Love of Dogs, Desserts and Growing up Italian” and also his children’s picture book published through Penguin Random House “Where’s Bearry?” Joe lives his life by a code of pastry and family, loving his wife, two adorable children, his pack of dogs and cannolis.
titleImage
Mar 13, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

6. Lightwire Theater: Moon Mouse - A Space Odyssey
Lightwire Theatre and Music Hall will be producing a special performance of Moon Mouse for children of local school districts. The show is a cosmic adventure about celebrating differences. Marvin the Mouse longs to have adventures and be the hero. As he retreats to his science books and a world of fantasy, he embarks on a space adventure of a lifetime in his homemade rocket where he meets a strange cast of misfit creatures.
titleImage
Mar 16, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

7. BURTON CUMMINGS - 60th Anniversary Hits Tour
Burton’s voice has been rated among the finest in rock music. As lead singer and songwriter with the original The Guess Who, Burton recorded and wrote/co-wrote hits such as “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “No Time,” “American Woman,” “Share the Land,” “Hand Me Down World,” “Albert Flasher”, “Star Baby”, “Clap for The Wolfman,” and “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature”. As a solo artist, he leaves his mark with the poignant “Stand Tall,” “I’m Scared,” “You Saved My Soul,” and his signature “My Own Way to Rock”.
titleImage
Mar 21, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

8. Michael Carbonaro
After hundreds of sold out performances and critical acclaim from his inaugural theatrical tour, Michael Carbonaro takes the stage with a brand new show! From his hit television series “The Carbonaro Effect” on truTV, America’s favorite Trickster makes a triumphant return to live performances in CARBONARO: LIES ON STAGE, conjuring up a concoction of unbelievable magic, hysterical offbeat shenanigans, and wonder for audiences of all ages. We’d say you have to see it to believe it, but you won’t believe a thing when you’re in the presence of Michael Carbonaro!
titleImage
Mar 22, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

9. Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘the Change’®
Menopause The Musical 2® is the new sequel to the long-running, international hit show Menopause The Musical®, a groundbreaking celebration of women who are on the brink of, in the middle of, or have experienced “The Change.” Five years after their chance encounter in a department store, we set sail with our beloved ladies for more high jinks on the high seas — plus hot flashes, mood swings, and memory lapses! Join them on a trip of self-discovery, backed by a new soundtrack of toe-tapping parodied hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
titleImage
Apr 6, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

10. Tony! Toni! Tone! Ft Dwayne Wiggins
One of the most influential music bands from the golden era of R&B, Tony! Toni! Toné! Featuring D’Wayne Wiggins celebrates three decades of timeless and legendary musical artistry. As the founding member of the multi-platinum trio Tony! Toni! Toné!, D'Wayne, along with his brother Raphael Saddiq and cousin Timothy Christian, released five albums with 14 Billboard-charting R&B singles, including five number one hits, three top ten pop singles, one gold album, two platinum albums, one double platinum album with over six million albums sold.
titleImage
May 23, 2025
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Detroit, MI · Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

Conclusion
The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Detroit offers a compelling array of events in 2025, each uniquely contributing to the arts and culture scene. From historical narratives and jazz education to comedy and family-friendly adventures, there's something for everyone to enjoy. These events not only entertain but also provoke thought and foster community engagement, showcasing the power of the performing arts to inspire and connect. As the year unfolds, audiences are invited to participate in this cultural tapestry, enriching their experiences and expanding their horizons.
frame icon Share
2025 Artelize