[title]
Luigi Mangione is making headlines again, and this time it's in the form of a surreal, darkly comic prison musical.
Luigi: The Musical, a satire inspired by the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024, ran to sold out crowd in San Francisco last year. It then played the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, one of the world's biggest platforms for experimental theater, and is now getting a staged reading in NYC at The Green Room 42 from June 15 to 20. The show was initially scheduled to be a one-night-only event in NYC but three more dates have already been added due to early buzz. The cast has yet to be announced.
Despite the title, the musical isn’t a straightforward retelling of the case involving Mangione. Instead, it takes inspiration from a surreal real-life coincidence: Mangione, Sean Combs and crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried were all held at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn at the same time. That unlikely trio became the spark for a satirical story that delves into Internet culture, celebrity scandal and the American criminal justice system.
The musical was created by Nova Bradford, with music by Arielle Johnson. Johnson also wrote lyrics alongside Bradford, and the book is credited to Bradford, Johnson, Andre Margatini and Caleb Zeringue.
“Luigi: The Musical uses comedy to bring deeper questions to the surface,” Bradford said in a statement. “Why did this case garner the reaction that it did? And what happens when people stop trusting their institutions?” The production isn’t meant to glorify violence. Instead, it pokes at the strange ecosystem that surrounds major crimes today, from viral commentary to round-the-clock media coverage.
The show is being staged as Mangione still faces both state and federal charges, including second-degree murder and stalking, which carry the possibility of life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.
Whether audiences see it as satire, social commentary or simply provocative theatre, Luigi: The Musical is bound to spark conversation. Find out more and get tickets at luigithemusical.info.