The Gingerbread Kid

The Gingerbread Kid at Coterie Theatre

A magical kid with a sweet tooth and a bottomless sweet tooth can't resist one more cookie, one more slice of cake, one more forbidden bite—and when the trouble starts, Allspice bolts. That's where The Gingerbread Kid begins at the Coterie Theatre, with a runaway hero racing headlong into a collision of storybook worlds where Henny Penny, Little Boy Blue, Little Bunny Foo Foo and a scheming fox are waiting.

This all-ages pop musical turns sixty minutes into a sugar-rush adventure through familiar nursery-rhyme territory. Jodi Marr's music drives the story forward while Abe Reybold's lyrics and book bring Kansas City families a mash-up of characters who never shared a page before. The score gives each fable its own voice, blending melodies that feel instantly hummable with rhythms built for a generation raised on pop hooks.

What makes Allspice compelling isn't just the reckless appetite—it's the flight from consequences that every young theatergoer will recognize. Running away solves nothing when the characters you meet include a panicked chicken spreading doomsday warnings, a drowsy shepherd, a bunny with a temper and a fox looking for his next meal. Each encounter pushes Allspice closer to a choice: keep running or face the mess left behind.

Grab tickets to the Coterie for a musical that doesn't lecture about responsibility—it lets the story do the work.