Bowen Yang Wears a Sublime R-Rated Robe as God in 'Dicks: The Musical'

Personifying God in 2003’s “Bruce Almighty,” Morgan Freeman dispensed wisdom in an all-white suit. Four years earlier, in Kevin Smith’s “Dogma,” Alanis Morissette wielded omnipotence in an Elizabethan-punk silver corset and tulle skirt. But, in 2023’s outrageous, uproarious, bonkers-level raunchy “Dicks: The Musical,” the transcendent Bowen Yang embodies an exceptional interpretation of the creator, in singularly spectacular costumes by Val Klarich.

“It’s such a departure from what we all, as a society, are used to imagining and visualizing when we think of any God,” says Yang.

Narrating as “the greatest storyteller” and author of the superlative “bestseller,” God introduces a new biblical tale in A24’s first-ever musical, written by and starring Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Sending up straight white male toxicity, the two gay men play excessively self-obsessed business bros, Craig Tiddle and Trevor Brock, respectively. (I mean, the names, alone.) The imaginatively absurd premise: The two top vacuum parts salesmen — who look absolutely nothing alike — discover they’re actually twins and scheme to reunite their long-separated parents, dressing robe and velvet suit-clad Harris (Nathan Lane) and the Miss Havisham-inspired Evelyn (Megan Mullally.) 

There are original show tunes, composed by Marius De Vries and Karl Saint Lucy, that will definitely stick in your head — like Megan Thee Stallion performing the sure-to-be-iconic “Out Alpha the Alpha” (while nailing slick choreography in a yellow Alex Perry power pantsuit) as boss Gloria Masters. 

But you may think twice about singing some of the snort-laugh lyrics by Sharp and Jackson out loud. As Yang’s “Las Culturistas” podcasting partner Matt Rogers describes the movie (in an increasingly chaotic “Truants and Delinquents” episode): “It goes there.” 

The costumes do, too, especially God’s.

“The big disco hat and the hot pants and the blazer — it’s such a specific, Village Person-adjacent thing,” says Yang.

Klarich — who cut her teeth on “Saturday Night Live” under Emmy-winning costume designer Tom Broecker and assisted Jill Bream on the hilariously chic “The Other Two” — explains that “he was described as a ‘designer’ God.” So, she first created an original “G+D” motif, based off the recognizable Gucci double-Gs. “It felt like no one has ever done it before,” she says. “I wanted to try and achieve something that felt very unique to this film.”

As for the overall silvery holographic effect: “I wanted people to see a little bit of rainbow. I just wanted it to feel like another world, essentially.” Festooning the immaculate logo onto the iridescent vinyl, however, proved a challenge. 

“We tried printing it, stamping it, but the fabric would melt,” Klarich says. Ever resourceful, she used the Cricut print-and-cut method to essentially generate large sheets of G+D stickers, which Lucia Briones carefully applied to material. Tailor Daniela Kerrleshe then built the suit. Klarich warned the team and Yang: “There’s gonna be a lot of restrictions. You won’t be able to button it because it’s very crunchy.”

The shirtless, open-jacket styling — with a matching peak cap, giant logo belt and tall flatform boots — help God exude an extra swaggy divine power. Klarich added a couple “Easter egg” Bible charms into his layers of rosary beads and cross pendants. 

The costume helped Yang with his audacious take on the supreme being. 

“The holographic aspect and that lettering pattern give off ‘luxury’ or ‘status,'” says Yang, imagining God, finally motivated to write a new chapter, expressing enthusiasm through fashion. “God was just lounging around Heaven, bored out of his mind, like, ‘Oh, I haven’t really put out work in a while, but I’m excited about this story. So let me dress up.'”

After an extraordinary final plot twist, God intends to send an illuminating message to his enraged flock, and uses his absolute power for a glorious quick change. The reveal of his resplendently R-rated cape, coordinating strapless gown and starburst headpiece by Emmy-winning “We’re Here” costume designer Diego Montoya leads into the provocatively inspiring closing number, “All Love is Love”. 

Provocateur director Larry Charles (“Borat,” “Bruno”) encouraged Klarich to push the boundaries with God’s finale finery. “(Charles) said, ‘Just go for it. No idea is bad,'” she says.

Klarich envisioned colorful stained-glass murals, like the ones in churches and Renaissance-Era Christian art, and Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel. She reached out to New York City-based artist, illustrator and costume designer Wilberth Gonzalez for the instructive artwork on the bottom half of God’s cape-gown.

“He drew up a bunch of different sex positions and was like, ‘Pick your two favorites,” she says. “Larry, being who he is, loved it (and said), ‘Go as far as you can.’ So I met him in the middle. I didn’t want it to be so offensive.”

Gonzalez painted and hand-embellished the fabric, sourced by Klarich, with upwards of 8,000 rhinestones. (“He just worked endlessly day-in and day-out, all by himself.”) When Yang first set eyes on his dazzling costume, which glimmers like sunlight pouring through stained-glass windows, “it took my breath away,” he says. 

“My jaw was on the floor. Then doing the fitting in person was just a whole other tactile spatial experience,” Yang continues. “I never quite felt that sensation on a project before where I was like, ‘Wow, I am wielding armor here. I’m wearing art.”

Klarich remembers the cast and crew breaking out into applause when Yang debuted the head-to-toe look on set. Charles was so impressed with the final product, he added a slow camera-pan of the full costume and detailed artwork.

“It’s much fun for (a plot twist that’s) so lewd and shocking, but it’s the moment where God has to make himself known,” says Yang. “He’s telling people, ‘No, you guys don’t get it. All love is inherently gross. Everything we do is pretty vile and disgusting.’ To have that juxtaposed with the beauty of the costume gives it a lot of meaning and heft. It’s a wonderful, inspired story moment that Josh and Aaron wrote.”

Actually wearing the weighty crystal-encrusted robe and gown, extravagant headpiece and “six-inch” gold platforms, though, involved a virtuous effort from Yang. 

“It felt like I was at the Met Gala for four days straight,” says Yang, with a laugh. “(Wearing the ensemble) was really intense, but the suffering of it all added to the performance.”

Off-screen, the triple-Emmy nominee is totally himself — and unencumbered — on the red carpet, with the help of stylist Michael Fisher. (We also stan Fisher for bringing Oscar Isaac’s calves-baring skirt ‘fits and Lee Pace’s three-piece muscle shorts-suit, both Thom Browne, into to our lives.)

“Michael and I struck up such an easy, natural friendship,” says Yang, explaining that the two would frequently “bump into” each other backstage at “SNL,” when Fisher would style the guest host. “Then, after a while, I was like, ‘I would love to work with you.'”

Yang now shares Fisher with his close friend group, including Sharp and Jackson (who embraced the shirt-and-no-pants trend in Loewe for the “Dicks” premiere in Los Angeles) and Rogers. “(Fisher has) been having fun with more queer clients,” says Yang.

As best friends and creative partners, Yang and Rogers often finish each others sentences and perfectly complement each other with their banter, comic timing and spontaneous song outbursts. If you look closely, the “Las Culturistas” hosts are doing the same with their fashion.

“We definitely coordinate. There’s always some thin layer of narrative. It’s not too heavy handed, which I also appreciate from Michael. He just always indulges,” says Yang. “Matt always has such whimsy. I’m usually pretty restrained and relaxed — like, I’ll do whatever. Seeing us individually works just fine, but when we’re sitting next to each other, like on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ or something, it immediately is legible.”

In June, the BFFs’ symbiotic sartorial Jane and Lydia energy radiated on Andy Cohen’s show to discuss one of their favorite subjects: “Real Housewives” (like, all of them.) Yang’s rakishly laid-back monochrome lilac ensemble, from the Aknvas suit to Virón Chelsea boots, played off Rogers’s cheeky all-black “Send it to Darrell” hoodie, athletic shorts, fishnets and patent platform heels. But the two connected through their beloved pop culture homages: Yang’s concert T-shirt, featuring “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande, and Rogers’s call-out to Lala Kent’s contribution to the #Scandoval discourse.

“Michael, like Val, is very good at communicating all of these essential things about the person wearing the clothes,” says Yang.

“Dicks: The Musical” opens nationwide on Friday, Oct. 20.

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