The Utah Tech University Theatre Program proudly announces the world premiere of Gingerbread, a stirring and original new musical inspired by the classic fairytale Hansel and Gretel. Reimagined for a modern audience, this powerful production explores loss, resilience, and the strength of community through a hauntingly beautiful story and an evocative score.
Performances will run November 13–15 and 18–22, 2025, at 7:30 PM in the Eccles Black Box Theater on the Utah Tech University campus in St. George.
When yet another child goes missing from Village 3, Kandaja is forced to relive the moment her own daughter disappeared thirty years ago. Only days later, two more children vanish, compelling their mother, Eva, to enlist the help of Kandaja—the very person once blamed for the original crimes. Together, they confront the darkness that has haunted their community for generations. As Kandaja seeks her long-lost daughter, she and Eva discover the power of forgiveness and the importance of standing together, even when answers remain elusive.
Director and Visiting Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Spencer Hamilton shared his creative perspective: “In reading the show, my mind kept returning to The Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Grapes of Wrath. I thought of people surviving in societies that have cast them off, of how dignity persists amid scarcity, and how power manifests in ordinary lives. Visually, I imagine a world colored like a gingerbread house—sepia tones accented with jewel hues, the forests of my Oregon childhood, and the stained glass of sacred spaces.”
Gingerbread is a full-length musical created by Dr. Melissa Walker Glenn (music and lyrics), Associate Professor of Music at Utah Tech, and Dr. John Bell (book), Emeritus Professor of Biophysics at Brigham Young University. Developed over eight years, the show was previously workshopped at Brigham Young University–Hawaii in 2019 and at the Harrington Center for the Arts in 2023.
Other members of the production team include choreographer Danika Martin (UT student), costume designer Abdiel Portalatin Perez, set designer Shelby Burgess, and lighting designer Henry Echeverria.
Tickets are $20 general admission and free for students, faculty, and staff with a valid Utah Tech ID. Performances are rated PG-13 for mature themes, including child endangerment, trafficking references, depictions of fire, and a gun threat.
Experience the magic of a world premiere—only at Utah Tech Theatre.
Tickets are available at utahtech.evenue.net/events/THEATRE. For more information, visit utahtech.edu/theatre.
