Latest news with #Luigi:TheMusical
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Luigi Mangione Musical Could Be Heading to New York
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. 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.
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
San Francisco's hit Luigi Mangione musical could be coming to NYC and L.A.—here's what to know
A musical about murder, hash browns, and America's crumbling institutions? Welcome to Luigi: The Musical, the runaway San Francisco fringe hit that might just be singing and tap-dancing its way to New York and Los Angeles. After a sold-out run at the Taylor Street Theater and a larger move to The Independent, this surrealist prison satire—featuring Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried and alleged killer Luigi Mangione as cellmates—has become a cultural moment. And yes, it really includes a ballad about breakfast potatoes and a love story between Diddy and SBF. The show reimagines its infamous trio not just as inmates at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (which they were in real life), but as symbolic pillars of a broken America: Hollywood, tech and healthcare. Created by four stand-up comics (Nova Bradford, Arielle Johnson, André Margatini and Caleb Zeringue), the show turns real-world headlines into a tap-heavy, morally ambiguous fever dream. There's even a number about Mangione being arrested after removing his mask to flirt with a hostel worker and buying McDonald's hash browns. Despite its absurdity, the musical is not just punching down. It satirizes celebrity crime obsession and the commodification of violence, asking pointed questions about public trust and the role of institutions. 'These three people represent these big pillars of institutions in society that are failing in their trust: health care, Hollywood and then Big Tech,' Zeringue told the San Francisco Chronicle. The creators are currently eyeing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August, with New York and L.A. productions in active discussion. While no dates have been confirmed, early buzz and interest from out-of-town producers suggest Luigi could find its way to bigger stages soon. Audiences have been packing the theater—sometimes standing along the walls—to watch Jonny Stein's heartthrob Luigi croon about martyrdom, back pain and bureaucracy. And while the Chronicle panned the show, that review is now baked into the script as a meta joke. 'I'm noticing people have different reactions based off of their own beliefs that they come in with, which I think is the sign of good art,' Zeringue said in an interview.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Luigi Mangione Musical Eyes More Cities After Sold-Out San Francisco Run
Luigi Mangione, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried have found a new (fictional) life on the stage. The new fringe production Luigi: The Musical, has been selling out shows in San Francisco, as it satirizes the real-life circumstances of Mangione, who is accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, being housed in the same Brooklyn jail as Diddy and Bankman-Fried, who were charged with sex trafficking and crypto fraud, respectively. More from The Hollywood Reporter Lollapalooza Is Nearly Sold Out: Here's How to Score (and Save on) Last-Minute Tickets Lady Gaga Continues Mayhem Ball Tour with Sold-Out Shows in L.A., San Francisco - Here are the Best Deals on Last-Minute Tickets Elton John, Jack White, Jason Momoa Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne: "A True Legend" While it keeps extending its current run, the show's creators are also aiming for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August and exploring possible future productions in New York and Los Angeles. It's a comedy that was created by four stand-up comedians after seeing the headlines about the bunkmates, and pokes fun at actual details of the alleged crimes, such as Mangione's stop for hashbrowns at McDonald's, which led to his arrest and is told here through a ballad. There's also a tap dance number featuring Diddy and Bankman-Fried and a love story between the two, among other surrealist elements. But it does also ponder the real-life public interest in these men. 'There is this interesting thing that these three men represent three pillars of society that people have lost a lot of trust in in recent years, including health care, Hollywood and the whole tech/VC/finance ecosystem,' said Nova Bradford, head writer and director of the show. 'And so what we want to explore more with the show is not about the individual actions of these actual people, but more so the place that these figures are occupying in the public consciousness and what it means about us when we've lost so much trust in institutions that are supposed to support us.' The musical, which Bradford wrote with Arielle Johnson, André Margatini and Caleb Zeringue, was initially slated for a handful of shows at San Francisco's 49-seat Taylor Street Theater, where it premiered June 13. But after selling out the run, the production has since moved to The Independent, a 350-person theater, where it continues to draw crowds, particularly younger and nontraditional theatergoers. (The San Francisco Chronicle was less enthusiastic in its review.) While Mangione does get title treatment, the creators say they're not intending to take a position on his alleged actions. Rather, the show is meant to reflect the differing views among attendees. 'I'm noticing people have different reactions based off of their own beliefs that they come in with, which I think is the sign of good art, right?' Zeringue said. Audience engagement is a large part of the 90-minute show, Bradford added, and the creators are using the interactions, and the overall audience reaction, to shape the show as they continue tweaking the musical. They're also envisioning adding a second act. 'Our hope is that regardless of someone's worldview, they'll leave the show with more questions than they had at the beginning,' said Bradford. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Seeing Double? 25 Pairs of Celebrities Who Look Nearly Identical From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Solve the daily Crossword
San Francisco Chronicle
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sold-out musical about Luigi Mangione adds new S.F. date
San Francisco's sold-out musical about Luigi Mangione has extended its run due to popular demand. ' Luigi: The Musical,' inspired by the social media frenzy surrounding the 27-year-old suspect in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has added a July 13 performance at the Independent. The music venue on Divisadaro Street has a capacity of 500, roughly five times that of the Taylor Street Theater, where the show premieres Friday, June 13. All five of the production's originally announced June performances at the Taylor Street Theater, the former Exit on Taylor in the Tenderloin, sold out more than a month ago. 'Luigi: The Musical' was developed by Nova Bradford, Arielle Johnson, André Margatini and Caleb Zeringue, and is staged in the style of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Chicago.' The satirical show is set at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center and features Mangione alongside a fictional group of prison mates including Sean 'Diddy' Combs, whose sex trafficking and racketeering trial began last month, and fallen FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. 'Luigi the character, as we've written him, is dead serious about his thoughts and goals,' Johnson previously told the Chronicle. 'There's something campy about the whole 'good guy with a gun' premise.' As Johnson and his colleagues prepared for the stage production's June 13 premiere, the real Mangione pleaded not guilty to four federal charges against him for the murder of Thompson in December. He is next set to appear in court June 26. During the appearance, a trial date may be set. Mangione spent his 27th birthday last month at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where he has been held without bail since Dec. 19. To mark the occasion, he sent a list of 27 things he's grateful for to various people who have been writing him letters while he has been locked up. The list has since gone viral on social media and features entries such as 'memes' and 'Latinas for Mangione,' both nods to the internet discourse around his arrest. Mangione also revealed that around 30,000 people donated more than $1 million to his legal fund, and expressed gratitude for the various books and letters that he has received.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Opinion - The most psychotic musical since ‘Sweeney Todd' — and why America needs it
Luigi Mangione is accused of gunning down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in broad daylight. A clean shot. No hesitation. Very soon, he'll sing about the brutal act in a San Francisco musical. I say: Good. 'Luigi: The Musical' is absurd, possibly sociopathic — and yet somehow entirely defensible. In fact, in this grotesque, camp-addled culture of ours, it might be the most honest piece of art produced all year. Not because murder is funny. Not because the justice system is a joke. But because we now live in an age where satire is the last viable truth-delivery system. Much of journalism is corporate. Novels are afraid. Late-night comedy is neutered. You want truth? Put it in a musical. Wrap it in sequins. And give it jazz hands. Satire has always been the most ruthlessly efficient scalpel. Aristophanes mocked imperial war. Jonathan Swift proposed devouring Irish children. George Orwell, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Vonnegut — they didn't protest. They staged freak shows. Molière shredded hypocrisy in powdered wigs. Charles Dickens dragged Victorian England through the gutter it tried to ignore. Joseph Heller turned bureaucratic madness into 'Catch-22.' Before his comedy went off a cliff, George Carlin stood on stage and tore down empire with a smirk. With 'Four Lions,' a pitch-black comedy about incompetent jihadists, Chris Morris made terrorism absurd. Before that, he had already terrified the British establishment with 'Brass Eye,' a fake news satire so savage it tricked members of Parliament into denouncing fictional drugs on air. Trey Parker made everything absurd, or at least appear absurd. From Mormonism ('The Book of Mormon') to war propaganda ('Team America') to the bloated theater of American politics and celebrity culture ('South Park'), nothing was sacred — and that was the point. Satire doesn't whisper; it slaps. It offends. It remembers what the real world would rather forget. 'Luigi' stands firmly in that lineage — not in spite of the outrage it invites, but because of it. What are we really so scandalized by? The idea of a murderer with a musical number? Please. We've been there before: 'Sweeney Todd,' 'Chicago,' 'Heathers,' 'Assassins.' We have clapped for John Wilkes Booth. We have cheered for razor blades and ricin. What bothers people about 'Luigi' isn't the violence. It's the contemporaneity — the fact that it's still too soon and the wound hasn't scabbed yet. This character, the corporate assassin-turned-accidental folk hero, feels dangerously plausible. Deep down, we know the real absurdity isn't the musical. It is the world that created such a man. We live in a culture that glamorizes sociopathy but gets offended when it's reflected back. Netflix ran 'Dahmer.' You can now buy 'American Psycho' mugs, t-shirts and beanies. 'The Sopranos' has a wine label. Real-life cartel hitmen share their 'wisdom' on TikTok. And yet, when a fringe theater group stages a smart, cynical satire about a real-life killing, we're told it's 'too far'? Get real. 'Luigi' doesn't play by prestige rules. It's too camp. Too gaudy. Too loud. It isn't Oscar-bait. It's black box theater with blood under its nails. And that's why it matters. It's not Netflix. It's not Hulu. It's not a limited series you can binge and forget. It's theater. And theater — real theater — makes you sit with it. The show is Gulag humor for the Uber Eats generation. It weaponizes the ludicrous, stitches viral violence to choreography, turns cellmates like Diddy and Sam Bankman-Fried into Greek chorus figures, and mocks our collective appetite for the borderline insane. 'Luigi'isn't glorifying Mangione. It's not trying to humanize him. It's trying to indict us. The audience. The algorithm. The economy of attention that turns killers into content. The culture that made a young man with a gun a trending topic before the body hit the pavement. This is a country where mass shooters get Wikipedia pages before their victims get autopsied. Where headlines blur into hashtags. Where the line between infamy and influence disappeared sometime around 2014. In that context, 'Luigi' isn't satire. It's realism. But there's a deeper tragedy here — not in the subject matter, but in the medium. Theater is dying — with its empty seats, aging donors and young people who'd rather scroll through cat videos, theater is losing the war for attention, and fast. This makes 'Luigi' both timely and, in some ways, necessary. Perhaps it's too campy. Perhaps it's too crass. Maybe it turns a murderer into a meme with a melody. But you know what? It gets people off their screens. It gets them out of their apartments. It gets them into a room with other humans, watching a live act of provocation unfold in real time. That used to be called art. Now it's called a liability. 'Luigi' won't win prestigious prizes. It might not even last its full run without protests. But it belongs. Theater isn't supposed to be sacred. It's supposed to be a mirror. Sometimes cracked, but always honest. So let them sing. Mangione won't be the last killer to dance under a spotlight. He's just the first one to do it with a chorus line and a cellmate named Diddy. John Mac Ghlionn is a writer and researcher who explores culture, society and the impact of technology on daily life. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
