‘Luigi the Musical' creators say the play is not what you expect
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Luigi Mangione has a fan club and state and federal charges accusing him of murder. Now the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson also has a show named after him.
But the people behind 'Luigi the Musical' say they're not jumping on the bandwagon that saw an outpouring of antipathy toward the health insurance industry and apparent appreciation for Mangione.
'I think it's more about posing the questions and trying to deepen the conversation … around these more difficult and hot-button issues,' Jonny Stein, who plays Mangione, told CNN in an exclusive interview.
'I hope that conversation continues and that there is this element of stopping and thinking and hopefully analyzing these kinds of responses,' he added. 'And I hope you have fun.'
It started out as a 'Can you believe it?' moment at an open mic night in San Francisco's comedy scene.
'Have you heard Diddy, (Sam Bankman-Fried) and Luigi are in the same prison?' Caleb Zeringue said he asked his friends.
From that one comment came the five-show production opening Friday night at the Taylor Street Theater in San Francisco. Zeringue is an executive producer, along with friend and fellow comedian Nova Bradford.
It's a satirical one-act show, set in the Brooklyn federal prison which housed Mangione; Sean 'Diddy' Combs, in the midst of his federal trial for sex trafficking; and Bankman-Fried — the crypto king serving time behind bars for a massive fraud scheme. He was transferred out of the Metropolitan Detention Center last month.
'It's like a period piece set in March,' joked Stein, a comedian who also has a background in musical theater.
The makers are adamant that the dark comedy is in no way meant to glorify Mangione's alleged crimes, saying on the theater's website: 'If you are confused, offended, or taking this too literally, we gently recommend a Google search for 'satire,' or possibly a hug.'
'I think we are all pretty curious about the systems at large,' Stein told CNN. 'Health care is part of what we're looking at, but tech and entertainment too.'
Zeringue added they're hoping they allow audiences to question the 'complication of the fact that violence is so commonplace in our society' and explore why major events that happen take off on social media.
Public obsession around these high-profile cases has exploded, with people's interest piquing for different reasons.
Outside the federal court where the Combs trial is ongoing, you will find dozens of people spending hours live-streaming rain or shine, chasing down witnesses or reading from their spiral notebooks a play-by-play of what's happening inside court.
One person, who goes by the name 'Miss Pleasant' online, explained that her viewers want to feel engaged. 'It has celebrity, it has sex, it has crime, it has drugs. This is as big as the OJ Simpson trial.' She's amassed a following of more than 6,000 followers on YouTube.
Similarly, at Mangione's court hearings, supporters show up in the hundreds, donning 'Luigi' green and chanting for his freedom.
Dr. Roona Ray with the non-profit Physicians for a National Health Program said her motivation for showing up at these court dates was the hope that change in the health care system will come.
'I think this case kind of touched a nerve for people. As a physician, I see people every day that are treated badly by the health insurance industry,' Ray said.
'Luigi the Musical' certainly tapped into something, as tickets for all five shows sold out within a day. The group has since added one more performance in July at a different theater in San Francisco.
Mangione, now 27, has a court date scheduled for September in the New York state case. He has pleaded not guilty to all state and federal charges.
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