Luigi Mangione Musical Could Be Heading to New York

Newsweek

5 days ago

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Luigi: The Musical, the fringe production about the alleged killer Luigi Mangione, is fresh off a series of sold-out shows in San Francisco.
Now, the show's creators are reportedly eyeing up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August as well as possible future productions in Los Angeles and New York, where the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took place in December.
Newsweek has reached out to Luigi: The Musical via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Mangione, 27, is accused of shooting Thompson outside of a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024. He is charged with 11 counts, including first-degree murder "in furtherance of an act of terrorism," two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense.
Federal prosecutors have announced their intent to seek the death penalty in Mangione's case. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges as well as terrorism charges.
Mangione has become the subject of intense public fascination online, with social media users treating the 27-year-old as everything from a sex symbol to a folk hero. The case reignited a discourse about American health care, and Mangione has received a significant amount of support.
Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025.
Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
What To Know
Luigi: The Musical is a surreal prison satire that follows in the footsteps of musicals like Chicago and Sweeney Todd.
The musical was created by songwriter Arielle Johnson and director Nova Bradford and features original music from Johnson and Bradford, performed by pianist Dani Macri, who also serves as associate musical director.
The synopsis for the musical reads, "Our characters reflect three institutions of modern disillusionment: healthcare, tech, and Hollywood. Each represents a pillar of American life where public trust has eroded and where people increasingly feel betrayed, exploited, or abandoned."
Mangione's two real-life inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), Sean Diddy Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried, both appear as characters in the musical.
Fried is the embattled co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Combs was found guilty in his sex trafficking child of transportation to engage in prostitution in his sex trafficking trial, but not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn.
The show stars Jonny Stein as Luigi, André Margatini as SBF, Janée Lucas as Diddy, and Calab Zeingue as Guard (Sgt. Delarosa).
Bradford told The Hollywood Reporter, "There is this interesting thing that these three men represent three pillars of society that people have lost a lot of trust in recent years, including health care, Hollywood and the whole tech/VC/finance ecosystem."
The Hollywood Reporter reported that the creators are looking at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, New York and Los Angeles for future possible productions.
It's not clear where the Mangione musical would be staged if it were to go to New York for a future production, but if it were to be held in the Theatre District, that would mean it would be mere blocks away from where Thompson was killed.
The musical was met with criticism and controversy when it was announced. It is described as a "comedy," in a synopsis on its website, which also notes that the show "doesn't glorify violence."
The show was first set for a handful of shows at a 49-seat San Francisco theatre, but after selling out that run, production moved to The Independent, a 350-person theatre.
What People Are Saying
A statement on the Luigi: The Musical website: "Luigi: the Musical doesn't glorify violence, it interrogates it. Beneath the absurdity and punchlines lies a serious critique of how violence is packaged, sold, and consumed in American media. The show takes aim at a culture where brutality is both entertainment and spectacle, inviting audiences to laugh while also asking why we're so quick to tune in when someone gets hurt.
"But it goes further, examining how violence is not just the act of individuals, but of elite institutions—like healthcare, Hollywood, and tech—through their neglect, indifference, and lack of accountability. Through sharp satire and irreverent humor, Luigi: the Musical uses comedy as a tool to expose just how normalized, and profitable, violence has become, challenging viewers to reckon with their own responses along the way."
What Happens Next
Further dates of the play and where it may be staged remain to be seen.