Jews: The Musical!
Jews: The Musical! tells the story of a frustrated Upper West Side playwright and an ambitious producer from the Islamic Kingdom of Shiram who form a strange friendship when their fates cross in pursuit of their very own Broadway musical success. The play is about how we all dislike each other because of politics, race, religion, gender, and sexuality, however the power of MUSIC, LOVE, and LAUGHTER can unite even the most divisive of enemies.
Say It Ain't Solo, The Rumperbutts,
The Rumperbutts, Say It Ain't Solo
Project Overview
JEWS: THE MUSICAL!
“This Show Ain’t Gonna Be Very Kosher”
Not Your Bubbie’s “Fiddler.” | Best described as a Jewish “Book of Mormon.”
ANIMATED / LIVE-ACTION FEATURE | FULL SCORE COMPLETE
SYNOPSIS
Jews: The Musical! tells the story of a frustrated Upper West Side playwright and an ambitious producer from the Islamic Kingdom of Shiram who form a strange friendship when their fates cross in pursuit of their very own Broadway musical success. The show is about how we all dislike each other because of politics, race, religion, gender, and sexuality – and how the power of MUSIC, LOVE, and LAUGHTER can unite even the most divisive of enemies.
WHY THIS SHOW, WHY NOW
In the spirit of boundary-pushing musical comedy like The Book of Mormon and The Producers, and animated/adult comedic sensibilities like South Park and Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy and Ted, Jews: The Musical! is unapologetically sharp, self-aware, and willing to explore sensitive, headline-relevant topics through irreverent comedy – at a moment when audiences are hungry for comedy on screen that isn’t afraid to say the unsayable.
FORMAT
Originally developed for the stage, Jews: The Musical! has undergone three developmental readings and is now being brought to the screen as an animated or live-action musical feature. The full musical score – 26 songs across two acts – is already written, giving the project a complete, reading-tested song catalog ready to be adapted for film.
COMPARABLE TITLES
Ted • Ted 2 • South Park • The Book of Mormon • Jewtopia • Avenue Q • The Producers
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE
With an estimated 7–8 million Jewish Americans nationwide, the production will prioritize major cultural hubs with significant Jewish communities – New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia. Beyond this core base, the film is built to travel further still: to Muslim audiences drawn in by Nasser, Firuzeh, Ali, and Abbas’s storylines, and to the broad, built-in fanbase of boundary-pushing comedies like The Book of Mormon, South Park, Family Guy, and Ted – making this a story designed to resonate across, not just within, communities.
DEVELOPMENT & TRACTION
• Score: Complete: 26 original songs across two acts, fully written and ready for screen adaptation
• Demo: Five-song professional demo recording completed (“If We Kiss,” “Everyone in the FBI Is Gay,” “The Show Must Not Go On,” “Who Do You Root For,” and more)
• Materials: Full pitch deck, character breakdown, and complete song list available on request
• Response: Early listeners/readers have called it “a Jewish Book of Mormon” with “honest perspectives from both sides of the aisle”
• Readings / Workshops: Three readings between 2022 and 2024.
CREATIVE TEAM
• Marc Brener: Book & Lyrics, Music. Film/TV writer-producer-director; co-produced stage readings of Danny Jacobson’s Bang Zoom at the Pasadena Playhouse and Manhattan Theatre Club (dir. Jerry Zaks, prod. Marty Bell)
• Laura Darrell: Music & Additional Lyrics. NYC/Portland-based actress, playwright, and producer; off-Broadway and international credits; playwright of Oregon (starring Tony winner Katrina Lenk)
• Sonja Florman: Music. Yale-trained musician (piano, violin, voice); music director for regional productions of Spamalot, Beauty and the Beast, and Once Upon a Mattress
• F. Bennett Gaines: Arrangements / Additional Music. NYC pianist-arranger for concerts and cabarets nationwide, including the Laurie Beechman Theater and Marc Scorca Hall
THE ASK
• Raise Amount: $5M
• Use of Funds: Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production, Festival Submission, Marketing
• Investor Waterfall: Investor capital is protected first: 100% of principal plus a premium is returned before any other party is paid – then investors continue to share in the film’s upside alongside the team that makes it.
• 1. Recoupment: Investor recoups 100% of invested capital from net revenues before any other participant is paid
• 2. Investor Premium: Investor then receives an additional 20% of capital invested (“corridor”) before profit participation begins – a market-standard premium that rewards early capital
• 3. Net Profits: Once the investor is fully recouped (principal + 20% premium), remaining net profits split 50/50 between the Producer side and the Creative side
CONTACT
JewsTheMusical@gmail.com • jewsthemusical.com
