The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza

The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza at The Coterie Theatre

When a pigeon starts dreaming of the North Pole in search of the ultimate present, something genuinely funny happens to holiday cheer. The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza brings Mo Willems's anxious, impulsive bird to life alongside his famously optimistic friends Elephant and Piggie, plus an army of decorating squirrels. Each character approaches the season their own way—one worries, two celebrate, and the rest go gloriously overboard—which means this hour-long musical doubles as a study in personality as much as a festive adventure.

The North Pole temptation isn't a throwaway gag. It drives an actual story through silly songs and comic gift-hunting stakes, rather than simply stringing seasonal numbers together. Mo Willems and Adam Tobin’s lyrics and Deborah Wicks La Puma's music keep the plot moving while honoring the tone that made Willems's books irresistible in the first place. Unlimited Squirrels decorating while The Pigeon contemplates abandoning everything creates the kind of contrast young audiences already love from the page—but this time with voices, movement and surprises that only live theater delivers.

Seeing familiar picture-book characters negotiate their very different holiday wants through performance gives children who know the stories a fresh lens on friendship and celebration. The Coterie presents this all-ages rolling world premiere in Kansas City, combining script and music that respects young thinking without oversimplifying the comedy. Grab tickets and discover what happens when a pigeon, an elephant, a pig and far too many squirrels share the same stage.