By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
It’s a Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar EXCLUSIVE! It is a privilege to welcome Giselle Bonilla and Alexander Heller to the podcast!
Giselle is the director of the upcoming film The Musical, which Alexander Heller wrote. The movie stars Tony Award-winning actor Will Brill as Doug Liebowitz, a frustrated playwright and middle school drama teacher. Doug’s ex-girlfriend, Abigail (Gillian Jacobs), the school’s art teacher, is now dating his nemesis, Principal Brady (Rob Lowe, who also co-produced the film). To retaliate and undermine their school’s chances of winning a prestigious Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence, Doug decides to turn the fall musical, West Side Story, into an original, controversial, chaotic production.
The film was selected for the U.S. Dramatic Competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it had its world premiere during the festival’s run from January 22 to 27, 2026. This festival marked the last time it would be held in Utah before relocating to its new home in Boulder, Colorado. The Musical is scheduled to be released nationwide on Friday, September 18.
For this special edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Alexander Heller and Giselle Bonilla shared how The Musical started out as a short film. They also revealed how Doug has shades of The Producers’ Max Bialystock and School of Rock’s Dewey Finn.
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