What’s a great way to attract major cash to the Detroit arts scene?
Get some big-time Hollywood players with Detroit roots to come back home and act as living proof of how important it is to invest in the next generation of actors, painters, musicians, and artists.
That’s the concept behind The Coney, a celebrity homecoming of sorts heading to the Detroit Opera House for a live “big, fun, messy” variety show on Sept. 26.
“Variety” is the key word here. The event has teased everything from a Coney dog-eating contest to Motown karaoke.
The Coney features some instantly recognizable names, including actress Kristen Bell (who grew up in Huntington Woods) and her actor husband Dax Shepard (who hails from Ypsilanti). Joining them are Academy Award-winning actor J.K. Simmons (who still shows up at Detroit Tigers games), Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows (who still lives in Detroit), and more. Other celebs recently confirmed to appear at The Coney are Sam Richardson, Diona Reasonover, Dave Coulier, Andrea Barber, Toni Trucks, Tony Hawk, Anna Garcia, Amber Ruffin, Amy Phillips, Larry Joe Campbell and Shane Battier.
In part, the show follows a similar concept to The Big Slick, an event spearheaded by actor Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso) in Kansas City that raises millions for pediatric cancer research.
Led by actor Marc Evan Jackson, the Detroit effort will focus on local youth arts programming.
Jackson, who went to college in Grand Rapids and cut his teeth doing improv at the now-defunct Second City Detroit, knows that if you try to describe him to a friend, you’ll likely say, “Oh, he’s that guy from …” and list off his credits.
“I’m the guy from a lot of stuff,” Jackson says.
He’s played roles in hit sitcoms like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place, as well as movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 22 Jump Street.
Now, he hopes you’ll recognize him as the man who raised big bucks for local youth arts programs by bringing home a bunch of Detroit-native Hollywood stars.
He’s led similar initiatives for years under his Detroit Creativity Project banner, teaching Detroit kids improv in hopes of growing their confidence and communication skills. Founded back in 2012, the organization currently reaches about 1,700 youth annually through free school and community programs.
For The Coney, Jackson is partnering with the Children’s Foundation of Michigan to expand the scope, drive new dollars into the philanthropic ecosystem (“It’s important to not cannibalize money from other sources that would go elsewhere,” Jackson says), and establish the Endowed Fund for Youth Arts to support local organizations for years to come.
“In addition to arts nonprofits that exist in the city already, I want to find the one that nobody knows about yet, that $25,000 or $50,000 would be rocket fuel to get them off and running,” Jackson says. “That cause immediately stands out as a good one.”
Visit theconeydetroit.com for tickets and more.
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the host of In the Groove on 101.9 WDET Detroit Public Radio (weekdays from noon to 3 p.m.).
This story originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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