KID GLOVES


Reality TV competitions don’t get any more entertainingly cutthroat than the one theatergoers get to witness in Matthew Leavitt and Nathan Wang’s delightful new musical comedy Kids Gloves, now getting its World Premiere at the Skylight Theatre.

The grown-up entertainers battling to star in their very own children’s TV show on the popular KIDZ Plus streaming service are:

1) Married couple Meredith and Eddie Irwin (Heather Marie Marsden and Adam J. Smith), whose hit singles “Playdate at the Playground” and “Whoop! Whoop! Here Comes the Poop” have already earned them pint-sized fans galore while raising awareness for their pet charity Orphans With Lupus, aka OWL.

2) Juaquin Blair (Chris Kerrigan), a big, burly, bearded guy with a smile as broad as the smiley face logo (“one eye is the sun and one eye is the moon, and the smile is an upside down rainbow”) he’s chosen for “The World Of Juaquin,” a show he hopes will be his claim to national and maybe even international fame.

3) Gen Z-er Jackson Landry (Joey Richter), self-described as “probably the biggest name in the kindy rock scene today” (along with “artist, environmentalist, humanitarian, activist, writer, producer, animal rescuer and perhaps hardest of all, human being”) … and if you don’t believe his claim to be all that, just ask his ever obedient girlfriend Vicki (Lauren Lorati).

4) Shirley Temple look-alike Darla Darling (Natalie Lander) and her dressed-alike doll Dolly, either of whom could easily give Wicked’s Galinda a course in perkiness and a truck driver a class in four-letter words (when they’re off camera that is).

Completing the cast are Emcee (and former Mouseketeer) Caleb Keeler (Will Collyer) and three of “the most instantly recognizable group of children’s entertainers ever assembled in the history of television”: Edmund the Elephant (Jonathan Slavin), Bonita the Bunny and her best human friend Penelope (Suzy Nakamura), and “the man who started it all,” Professor Penguinpants (Harry Murphy)!

Let the Hunger Games begin!

You don’t have to be a Reality TV fan to fall for Kid Gloves The Musical, though it probably helps if you’re at least familiar with the genre.

That is to say that there will be live-streamed performances followed by judging panel critiques and (more importantly where ratings are concerned) backstage peeks at the vying contestants’ backstabbing shenanigans, and because this is a musical, there’ll also be over a dozen original songs designed to showcase composer Wang’s gift for catchy melodies and book writer Leavitt’s for clever (and occasionally double entendre) lyrics. (My personal favorite comes from Meredith and Eddie’s “The Most Fun You Can Have” that goes “Hard ones, soft ones, big and small. The size and the color don’t matter at all ‘cause it feels so good when we play with balls. Yeah, it feels so good when we play with balls.”)

Under Richard Israel’s effervescent direction, Kid Gloves nails its tropes to outrageously funny (and accurate) effect, guaranteeing audiences 110 minutes of nonstop fun.

And speaking of fun, that’s precisely what Kid Gloves’ triple-threat ten are having on the Skylight Theatre stage, luxuriating in roles that give each and every one of them the chance to sparkle and delight, whether it’s Lander’s not-so-darling blonde Darla flinging the F-word like no Disney darling ever did, or Kerrigan’s good-natured Juaquin having the meltdown of all time on live TV, or Richter’s sexy slacker of a Jackson acting so full of himself, it’s a wonder Lorati’s ever-loving Vicki doesn’t bop him one, or the equally marvelous Marsden and Smith’s Meredith and Eddie adding a touch of realism to the mix as a couple whose marriage might just be on the rocks.

Judges Slavin, Nakamura, and Murphy’s voiced and voiceless reactions to each contestant’s performance are every bit as entertaining as their interactions with each other and the competitors, and the always fabulous Collyer holds it all together as the most ingratiating of TV show hosts.

Vocal performances are as all-around terrific under Anthony Lucca’s expert music direction as their dance steps are to Christine Lakin’s infectious choreography, and Kid Gloves simply couldn’t look more fabulous than it does thanks to an all-star production design team.

 The neon colors of Mark Mendelson’s set (both the stage where the TV competition takes place and the green room where characters interact and act up as they await their entrances) and Rebecca Carr’s inventive TV kids show costumes are made even more vibrant under Andrew Schmedake’s vivid lighting, and sound designer Christopher Moscatiello provides an impeccable mix of amped voices/vocals and the onstage live band* that’s an integral part of the show.

Kid Gloves is produced by Village Green Productions and Sami Kolko and features Megan Trepani’s delightful props and Ned Mochel’s fun fight design.

Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. Erin Brownett, Luc Clopton, Susan Huckle, Gabriel Oliva, and Frankie Zabilka are understudies.

Amelia Tacy is production stage manager and Brian Semel is assistant stage manager. David Elzer is publicist.

Whether or not Kid Gloves is the first stage musical to focus on reality TV competitions (and it well might be), it scores a guaranteed bullseye where escapist entertainment is concerned. Consider it the new year’s best cure for the daily headline blues.

*Lucca (keyboards), Corbin Jones (bass), Ryan McDiarmid (drums), guitar (Will Wu)

Skylight Theatre, 1816 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles.
https://kidgloves.ludus.com

–Steven Stanley
January 17, 2026
Photos: Jeff Lorch

Visit www.theatreinla.com/nowplayingrs.php for a review roundup of what’s now playing in theaters around Los Angeles.

 

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