Luigi Mangione Musical Sells Out
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.
A musical inspired by alleged murderer Luigi Mangione is set to premiere next month and tickets for the show have already completely sold out.
Newsweek has reached out to Luigi: The Musical outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Mangione, 26, is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside 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 offensive.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges as well as terrorism charges, with federal prosecutors declaring their intent to seek the death penalty.
Since his arrest, the 26-year-old has become the subject of feverish internet discourse and has been upheld by social media users as everything from a fashion icon to a martyr and a sex symbol. Mangione has gained significant support from some people, many of whom view his alleged actions as a stand against the health insurance industry, with supporters publicly calling for "Free Luigi."
Luigi Mangione appears at a hearing for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 21 in New York City.
Luigi Mangione appears at a hearing for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson at Manhattan Criminal Court on February 21 in New York City.
Curtis Means - Pool/Getty Images
What To Know
Luigi: The Musical will debut on June 13 in San Francisco.
The musical is described as a "comedy," in a synopsis on its website, which also notes that "this show is not a celebration of violence of any kind, nor is it an attempt to pass judgement on an ongoing legal matter."
Rather, the musical "uses satire to ask deep cultural questions," including why the case struck such a chord with so many people and why Luigi did Luigi become an internet folk hero.
Currently, there are five dates of the musical listed on the website, all of which are sold out. The play will be held at the Taylor Street Theatre and was announced in an Instagram post on April 9. It will run for 60 minutes and is billed as being suitable for those 16 years and older.
The musical has been created by songwriter Arielle Johnson and director Nova Bradford. It will feature original music from Johnson and Bradford, performed by the pianist Dani Marci.
Two of Mangione's fellow inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Brooklyn—Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is awaiting a May trial in his sex trafficking case, and Sam Bankman-Fried, the embattled co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence—also appear as characters in the musical.
Jonny Stein will portray Mangione, while Janée Lucas will play Combs and André Margatini will play Fried.
It bears potential similarities with the famous 1975 musical, Chicago, a satire on the criminal justice system and the concept of a "celebrity criminal," which features Roxie Hart, a fictional character based on the real-life accused murderer, Beulah Annan.
The synopsis for Luigi: The Musical states that "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."
What People Are Saying
Luigi: The Musical, in a synopsis shared on the play's website: "Our hope is that Luigi: The Musical makes people laugh---and think. We're not here to make moral proclamations. We're here to explore, with humor and heart, how it feels to live through a time when the systems we're supposed to trust have stopped feeling trustworthy."
What Happens Next?
More dates of the play are set to be announced soon
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Hearts Melt at What Dog Does Every Afternoon When He Sees the School Bus
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. A dog has developed the most heartwarming daily habit whenever he catches sight of a yellow school bus outside the family home. Every day around the same time, Thor watches and waits. He knows exactly what to look out for and, considering he's a dog, has a pretty good idea of when to expect it. "We brought Thor home in November of 2023," Deanna Rogers told Newsweek. The mom, who lives with her husband and two young sons in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, said that, before Thor, they had a very specific idea in mind for what kind of dog they wanted. "We specifically wanted a German shepherd because they're known for their loyalty to their family," Rogers said. "Because we live on a very busy main road, we wanted a dog who wouldn't be so willing to run off." In a busy household that also includes two rescue ponies, a pair of goats and some chickens, Thor plays an important role in keeping the peace and appears to thrive in it. "He could spend all day outside, just keeping an eye on the farm animals and watching our boys play," Rogers said. "His favorite thing to do is definitely very long walks and car rides! He is insanely smart and protective without coming across as intimidating. When it comes down to it, he's a big baby." Thor's intelligence shouldn't come as a shock. Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of Dogs and professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia's Department of Psychology, ranks the breed among the most intelligent. "According to my research, the seven dog breeds with the highest working and obedience intelligence, starting with the brightest are: Border collie, poodle, German shepherd, golden retriever, Doberman pinscher, Shetland sheepdog and Labrador retriever," Coren told Newsweek. However, Thor appears especially smart, if a video posted to Rogers' TikTok, @deannarogers_, is anything to go by. It' is a compilation of the heartwarming daily habit Thor has picked up when Rogers' kids come home from school. "Thor started really becoming aware of the boys' school routine this year," Rogers said. "In the afternoon, he would start watching out the window around the time he knew they came home, anticipating the big yellow school bus to arrive out front of our house." One day, Thor opted to take things one step further. "He just decided to go greet the boys at the foot of the bus steps," Rogers said. Things quickly escalated from there in the sweetest way imaginable. "After that, some of the kids would call his name and he would go right onto the bus, take a lap down the aisle and head off," Rogers said. "It became a regular occurrence." Thor's antics have made him a firm favorite with everyone at her sons' school. "Not only do our kids love seeing Thor greet them at the bus, all of the other kids and the bus driver love it, too," Rogers said. Now Thor's adorable escapades have gone viral, with the compilation clip posted to Rogers' TikTok, showing his regular visits to the bus, going viral with more than 23,000 views and counting. "He loves your son so much!! Good doggy," one viewer wrote, with a second commenting: "Oh my God this is the cutest, dogs deserve the world." A third meanwhile admitted they were "crying on the toilet" watching the footage. The response has blown Rogers away but, given how much she knows and loves Thor, it is not a surprise to see others feeling the same. "When I shared the video, I knew people would feel the love that our dog has for our children and it would make people smile," Rogers said. "Dogs are just the best, but our Thor is really up there with the best of the best." It looks like quite a few New Jersey school kids would agree.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Dad Makes Baby Girl 'Apologize' to Every Passenger After 8-Hour Flight
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. A family has gone viral after playfully getting their baby daughter to "apologize" to passengers after a long-haul flight. Hannah Chestnut, originally from London in the UK, and her husband Joseph, from Ohio, are proud parents to five-month-old twin baby girls, which can make family life slightly chaotic. Despite this, Chestnut told Newsweek: "We've decided we're going to travel with them and not be deterred by the fact that we have young babies." Traveling with babies can be stressful for the parents, but after a recent trip with their daughters, Chestnut captured a sweet moment between her husband, daughter Ava, and the other passengers—as the baby girl apologized "face-to-face" to her fellow travelers. Five-month-old Ava smiles at disembarking passengers after a flight. Five-month-old Ava smiles at disembarking passengers after a flight. Instagram @themumcrew Posted to Chestnut's Instagram page @themumcrew on May 28, the video showed Joseph holding Ava, dressed all in pink and with a grin on her face, as passengers disembarked the eight-hour flight from London to Atlanta. Ava faces the queue leaving the aircraft, as some of them shoot smiles back at her, with Chestnut writing over the clip: "We told her she had to apologize to everyone face-to-face for what she put them through on the flight." The sweet video racked up more than 67,000 likes, as one commenter joked: "She look at everyone like 'and I'll do it again. Watch this.'" Read more Texas man, 72, flying with disabled brother silences 'entitled' passenger Texas man, 72, flying with disabled brother silences 'entitled' passenger Another wrote: "And did she [apologize]? No. She just smiled that gummy little heart-melting smile and everyone just forgave her." And one recalled a story from when her own daughter was a toddler, and once "tried to take a bite out of a stranger's burger on our flight to Cancun. Still amazed at how gracious our fellow passengers were!" Chestnut explained to Newsweek that on this particular flight, their daughters had not been "too fussy," but while waiting for their stroller and car seats "Ava kept smiling at all the other passengers as they got off the plane. So I decided to film it as her apologizing to all of them." She added: "Ironically, on the flight right after the one we got off of in the video, Ava was super loud and upset, so that was the flight we actually should've filmed the video after!" While flying with babies can be difficult, there are things parents can do to help it go as smoothly as possible. Booking an evening flight can increase the chance of the baby sleeping through the journey, and opting for longer layover times between connecting flights can help the baby or young child expend energy before the next flight, according to Pampers. Ava with her father Joseph, who is holding her as they wait for their stroller and car seats. Ava with her father Joseph, who is holding her as they wait for their stroller and car seats. Instagram @themumcrew Sharing a sweet detail about her family of four, Chestnut revealed she and her husband were born on the very same day in 1992, "on opposite sides of the Atlantic, only hours apart." "And then 32 years later we had twins, which means our family of four only has two birthdays between all of us." Reacting to the huge online response to her video, she added: "It's been so fun to see the video go viral, and we never expected such a silly moment to reach so many people so quickly." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@ with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Ukraine Destroys 13 Russian Tanks, 100 Armored Vehicles as Locomotive Hit
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. Ukraine has struck a Russian train carrying military equipment, destroying 13 tanks and more than 100 armored vehicles The Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine posted about the Saturday attack, along with multiple others, on social media. Why It Matters Ukraine's attack marks a significant tactical gain as it continues to pressure Russian logistics and supply chains. The strike on a Russian freight train transporting military equipment—particularly locomotives hauling armored units—deals a substantial blow to Moscow's ability to reinforce its front-line positions quickly. An M113 armored vehicle camouflaged with anti-drone netting during a training exercise by the Ukrainian military at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on June 6, 2025. An M113 armored vehicle camouflaged with anti-drone netting during a training exercise by the Ukrainian military at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on June 6, 2025. FLORENT VERGNES/AFP via Getty Images What To Know Kyiv also had to "repel" multiple Russian assaults, the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine said, with five taking place near Malynivka and toward Poltavka. Two Russian attacks near Piatykhatky and toward Pavlivka "on the position of our defenders" were described as "useless." In the 24 hours leading up to Saturday, Ukraine recorded more than 800 Russian attacks using different types of kamikaze drones and had itself carried out more than 350 drone strikes, dropping around 450 munitions. In the southern region, Russian forces carried out 12 airstrikes in the past 24 hours with a total of 47 guided bombs hitting settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region. Front-line towns and villages in the Mykolaiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions were hit by artillery and drone attacks. In total, 41 attacks were recorded in 22 different places. In the Kherson region, two people were killed and 10 others were injured due to the shelling, according to Kyiv. In the past 24 hours Russian losses have included the following: 114 personnel One railway locomotive 23 tanks Seven artillery systems 103 units of automobile and armored equipment 10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for reconnaissance or tactical support 10 motorcycles One radio-electronic warfare item Nine UAV-related antenna systems Five communications antenna Five generators Four ammunition storage spaces Kyiv has also released a map showing what it says are Russia's plans to seize half of Ukraine by the end of next year. The Ukrainian Presidential Office deputy head, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, made the claims, and they were followed by President Donald Trump warning that he would use further sanctions against Moscow if the war dragged on. What People Are Saying The Ukrainian Presidential Office deputy head, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, said Thursday: Russia's "plan for next year is to occupy the whole part of Ukraine which is situated on the left bank of the Dnieper River," and "occupy the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions to cut Ukraine's access to the Black Sea." President Donald Trump said about U.S. sanctions: "If I think Russia will not be making a deal or stopping the bloodshed…I'll use it if it's necessary." He added: "I'm OK with it. I haven't decided to use it." What Happens Next All eyes will likely be on what Trump does with regard to the U.S.' reaction to continued Russian attacks in Ukraine.
