DICKS: THE MUSICAL - A Review by Jenn Rohm

DICKS: THE MUSICAL – A Review by Jenn Rohm

Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp in the mid-2010s, while with Upright Citizens Brigade, decided to write a musical that became a 30-minute two-man show. In 2016 plans to turn it into a full-length feature film began. Fast forward to 2022 and the progress of Dicks: The Musical started.

From the opening moments it is made clear this film is for mature audiences. (Mature in age due to content, not a mature mental state.) Being very clear about Craig (Josh Sharp) and Trevor (Aaron Jackson) dominating their jobs and the Ladies, the day starts with their companies having merged. Entering the office at the same moment, the battle for Top Salesperson is on. Late at work, they sing about the woe of no one having the same moments in life. But wait… maybe someone does understand…could it be…they are twins? This primary plot point is familiar to many of us, be it from Hayley Mills’s 1961 or Lindsay Lohan’s 1998 movies (by the same name) The Parent Trap. The boys have always dreamed of having a real family and decide to get Mom and Dad back together.

Evelyn/the Mom (Megan Mullally) is an eccentric recluse, and Harris/the Dad (Nathan Lane) finally announces he likes men. (The casting choice should have made it clear and therefore I do not believe this to be a “spoiler”.) Mullally and Lane bring full-strength, over-the-top, Broadway performances. I do not understand Mullally’s choice to lisp, to me, it took away from the character and made some lines hard to understand. Outside of that, their performances and what they were willing to do shows their love of the art of acting.

I find myself flip-flopping over “Did I like the film/did I not like the film”. With hidden gems, such as the detail in the posters outside of where Craig and Trevor live and the décor of Harris’s apartment there are things I really liked. Then there are over-the-top in-your-face moments that take things further than necessary. The point was made, yet this is our space so let’s keep pushing the point. One example is the Sewer Boys. I followed why something taking Harris’s attention was needed elsewhere and maybe there was some “how far can we really push the cast”. The choice of the creatures themselves took something away from the film using show cats or show dogs could have worked.

The musical numbers continue to one-up each other as the movie goes on. These are not songs I would suggest belting out just anywhere, at work they will lead to a visit with HR. I did find them catchy and wonder if I can turn “Out Alpha the Alpha” into a ringtone. Bringing in Marius De Vries to work with Karl Saint Lucy and the lyrics written by Sharp and Jackson turned them into more of what one expects of a musical.

Sleep in, go to brunch at 11:00 a.m., make sure to include mimosas, and then hit a matinee with your gal pals and fabulous friends. I will be here waiting for Nathan Lane’s book “Ham Sandwich”.

Director: Larry Charles

Written By: Aaron Jackson, Josh Sharp

Cast: Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson, Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang, Megan Thee Stallion

MPAA Rating: R for strong crude sexual content, graphic nudity, pervasive language, and brief drug use.

Genres: Comedy, Musical

Selig Rating: 3 stars

Runtime: 1 hr. 26 min.

Release Date: Limited October 6, 2023, Wide October 20, 2023

Movie Site: Dicks: The Musical official website

Trailer: Dicks: The Musical official trailer

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.