A MURDEROUSLY FUN MUSICAL
SEND-UP OF KIDS-TV STARDOM

Nathan Wang and Matthew Leavitt turn wholesome
childhood icons into gleeful chaos—
fast, filthy, and ridiculously entertaining.

Sets are declarative.

I have walked into theatres, taken one glance at the set occupying the stage, and could have written my whole review then and there.

Anthony Lucca, Will Wu, Will Collyer (center),
Jonathan Slavin, Suzy Nakamura, and Harry Murphy

For example, once, going to Santa Monica Boulevard to review the mountaineering drama K2 by Patrick Meyers, which tells the tale of two ill-fated climbers, I entered the small black box and found myself confronted by a mind-numbingly elaborate set of a mountain peak that overhung half of the audience.

Adam J. Smith and Heather Marie Marsden

Suspended from the peak’s underside were a pair of portaledges—hanging tents—from where all the action took place. (I later learned the set was upwards of $50,000.) But the moment I set eyes on it, it told me where all the emphases of the show had been directed, and that I was in for a dismal evening. I was not proven wrong.

Harry Murphy as Professor Penguinpants

Walking into the Skylight Theatre to review the new musical Kid Gloves by Nathan Wang (music) and Matthew Leavitt (book and lyrics), I was greeted by Mark Mendelson’s intelligent, slick, energetic set, which assured me immediately—oh, this is going to be fun.

And fun it was!

Will Collyer and Jonathan Slavin

Wang and Leavitt have taken the reality-show format of America’s Got Talent, stirred in a helping of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, and dumped in some beloved childhood archetypes—Barney, Captain Kangaroo, Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop—and served up a toe-tapping, oh-so-tasty satire.

Chris Kerrigan, Jonathan Slavin, Suzy Nakamura, Harry Murphy

Kid Gloves, hosted by the ever-smiling Caleb Keeler (Will Collyer), offers a panel of successful children’s entertainers: Edmund the Elephant (Jonathan Slavin), Penelope (Suzy Nakamura) with her puppet Bonita the Bunny, and Professor Penguinpants (Harry Murphy). They’ll judge the performances of a foursome of hopefuls and select a winner worthy of receiving their own network-televised children’s program.

Natalie Lander

The candidates are Meredith and Eddie (Heather Marie Marsden and Adam J. Smith), who are approaching the competition like a last chance at couple’s therapy; the hulking and intense Juaquin (Chris Kerrigan); Jackson (Joey Richter), a rabid environmentalist, with his lovesick partner Vicki (Lauren Lorati)—who he treats less like a sidekick and more like a punching bag; and Darla Darling, the adorable little curly-top with matching doll who is not so much “sugar and spice” as “cobras and vice.”

Suzy Nakamura, Joey Richter and Natalie Lander

The sensibilities leap from Star Search to Survivor very quickly. Food-poisoning, costume slashing, doll beheading, and the whole range of back-stabbing and rat-screwing ensues, accompanied by such twisted tunes as “Kids Are the Future,” “Separate Bedrooms,” and “Hey, Be Polite.”

Ryan McDiarmid, Anthony Lucca, Heather Marie Marsden, Chris Kerrigan,
Jonathan Slavin, Adam J. Smith, Suzy Nakamura, and Harry Murphy

Director Richard Israel nimbly keeps the madcap antics at a clipped pace (and quick scene changes), with assistance from Musical Director and Conductor Anthony Lucca leading the 4-piece band, Christine Lakin’s choreography and Andrew Schmedake and Christopher Moscatiello’s lighting and sound design, respectively.

The Company

Leavitt and Wang’s show is absolutely dynamite, and with the cast they’ve assembled, they’ve found the perfect spark to light its fuse. And thanks to costume designer Rebecca Carr, they all look great doing it.

Joey Richter, Jonathan Slavin, Suzy Nakamura and Harry Murphy

The worst you can say about Kid Gloves is that maybe they could lose 10 of its 100-minute running time. Otherwise, producer Sami Kolko has put up a show that shouldn’t be missed.

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

photos by Jeff Lorch

Kid Gloves
Village Green Productions at Skylight Theatre
1816 1/2 N. Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz
Thurs-Sat at 8; Sun at 2 (dark Jan. 22 & 29)
ends on February 15, 2026
for tickets ($45), visit Kid Gloves

for more shows, visit Theatre in LA

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦