The Gingerbread Kid

The Gingerbread Kid at Coterie Theatre

Allspice wants what any kid who's devoured too many desserts wants: to avoid the stomachache. But this magical child of two bakers chooses the worst possible escape route—straight into a world where storybook figures have problems of their own.

The Gingerbread Kid brings Henny Penny and her worried gang together with Little Boy Blue and the mischief-maker Foofinella, also known as Little Bunny Foo Foo. These familiar faces aren't waiting in separate nursery rhymes anymore. They're all sharing the same path, and that path crosses with a hungry fox who'd be delighted to make a meal of someone small and sweet. Allspice's flight from consequences becomes a much bigger survival game when appetite meets opportunity.

The Coterie presents this pop musical in Kansas City with music by Jodi Marr and book and lyrics by Abe Reybold. Roughly one hour means the whole family gets a complete adventure without the endurance test. The format respects shorter attention spans while delivering real stakes: Allspice has to navigate betrayal, hunger and the collision of worlds that were never meant to overlap.

What happens when you run from your mistakes and land in someone else's story? The answer involves characters who've been waiting in picture books for a chance to surprise you. Grab tickets to the Coterie Theatre and find out whether Allspice outsmarts the fox or learns that home looks better after you've been on the menu.