Latest news with #Luigi:TheMusical
San Francisco Chronicle
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. musical about Luigi Mangione looks to expand internationally after extending run
San Francisco's buzzy new musical about Luigi Mangione has extended its run once more, with its creators looking to expand the production beyond the Bay Area. ' Luigi: The Musical,' inspired by the social media discourse surrounding the 27-year-old suspect in the murder case of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has added an Aug. 6 show at the Independent after selling out all previous performances. The satirical show follows Mangione as he encounters his prison mates — Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who was recently convicted on prostitution-related charges, and fallen FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried — at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, in a production staged in the style of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Chicago.' Tickets for the August show, currently the only upcoming performance, are available now. Even before its debut at Taylor Street Theatre on June 13, the musical attracted national attention — 'If only the show itself could justify the hype,' wrote Chronicle theater critic Lily Janiak in her opening night review of the production. Nonetheless, 'Luigi: The Musical' went on to sell out its initial run at the 49-seat venue through June 28. Due to high demand, four additional performances were staged in July at the Independent, a 500-capacity venue on Divisadero Street. Now its creators are considering runs in Los Angeles, New York, and Edinburgh, Scotland. 'It's so fun and cathartic for us to perform the show, and audiences are really loving it,' Caleb Zeringue, an executive producer, writer and actor in the show, told the Chronicle. 'We are hearing from the audiences that the show helps them process our current society. … We want to give more people the chance to see it.' Despite describing the show as 'terrible,' Janiak acknowledged that it drew 'younger-than-usual theatergoers' and serves as proof that people 'still crave theater that helps us make sense of current events and envision fresh political possibilities.'
Newsweek
29-07-2025
- 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
28-07-2025
- 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.
