'Dicks: The Musical' brings laughs to Toronto film festival

[September 08, 2023]  By Jenna Zucker
 
(Reuters) - During a Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) expected to lack star power, Bowen Yang brought excitement to the burgeoning crowd at the "Dicks: The Musical" world premiere. 

Aaron Jackson, Bowen Yang, and Josh Sharp arrive during the the World premiere of Dicks: The Musical at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 7, 2023. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

Yang, best known for his role on "Saturday Night Live," said he felt really lucky to be on the carpet amid the Hollywood strikes over pay and the use of artificial intelligence.

"It feels really fortuitous because I think the union is being really selective in a very intentional way about what movies get these interim agreements and waivers,” he told Reuters, referring to union waivers for some actors to promote films.

Yang plays the character of God and rapper Megan Thee Stallion stars as the boss of protagonists Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson in the absurdist musical.

Independent studio A24 ventured into the comedic musical genre for "Dicks: The Musical" with Larry Charles, the director of "Borat," and the producers of "The Greatest Showman."

The film follows two long-lost twins (Sharp and Jackson) who join forces to reunite their parents (Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally) in a plot they’ve classified as “a riff on ‘The Parent Trap.’”

Originally an off-Broadway musical, Sharp and Jackson said it was a dream to bring their vision of this “proudly queer” story to the big screen. The duo said they do not need an audience to take anything away from the film other than laughter.

“Dicks: The Musical” is among 27 projects under TIFF’s 2SLGBTQ+ section, up three from last year.

(Reporting by Jenna Zucker; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

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