Luigi Mangione The Musical / Jim McCambridge
A controversial new musical about suspected Luigi Mangione has opened for a sell-out run in San Francisco.
Last December, 28-year-old Mangione was arrested on suspicion of shooting and killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, at point-blank range in a protest against the US healthcare system.
Mangione is now in a New York jail awaiting federal and state trials on a total of 15 charges, but his apparent motive – combined with his good looks – has made him a cause celebre, gaining tens of thousands of fans around the world.
Actor and writer Caleb Zeringue has now turned the case into Luigi: The Musical, which follows Mangione behind bars where he encounters fellow prisoners P Diddy and crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, both of whom are incarcerated in the same institution with him in real life.
An official synopsis for the show reads: “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 humour, Luigi: The Musical uses comedy as a tool to expose just how normalised, and profitable, violence has become, challenging viewers to reckon with their own responses along the way.”
The show runs at San Fran’s Taylor Street Theatre until June 28, with more dates and venues to be announced soon.
