Luigi: The Musical
| Luigi: The Musical | |
|---|---|
| Music | Arielle Johnson |
| Lyrics | Arielle Johnson Nova Bradford |
| Premiere | June 13, 2025: Taylor Street Theater San Francisco |
| Productions |
|
Luigi: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical written by Arielle Johnson and Nova Bradford. It centers around three high-profile inmates, Luigi Mangione, Sam Bankman-Fried and Sean "Diddy" Combs who are inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center.[1][2][3]
The musical premeried in June 2025 at Taylor Street Theatre in San Francisco. The show originally ran from June 13–28, 2025.[1] The initial five-show run was sold out, with additional performances later being added at The Independent, a larger venue also in San Francisco, which were also sold out.[3][4][5]
Background
On December 4, 2024, Brian Thompson, the then CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in New York City. American man Luigi Mangione is currently the top suspect in Thompson's killing.[6][7]
The musical was conceived a few months later during an open mic night at the SF Eagle, a gay bar in San Francisco. While at that bar, the shows creator and director Nova Bradford shared his idea for the musical with Caleb Zeringue, the shows co-writer and producer.[3][8][9]
Synopsis
Luigi: The Musical centers around the fictional experiences in prison, at the Metropolitan Detention Center, of Luigi Mangione, the top suspect in the killing of Brian Thompson, former CEO of UnitedHealthcare, as well as that of Sean "Diddy" Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried.[1]
After the San Francisco Chronicle panned the show in its review of it, the review was added to the shows script as a meta joke.[10]
Musical numbers
The musical numbers in the original production were as follows:[11]
- The Cheapest Room In Brooklyn – Company[12]
- All For A Smile – Luigi Mangione[12]
- Bay Area Baby – Sam Bankman-Fried[13]
- Diddy Party – Diddy, Sam Bankman-Fried and Luigi Mangione
- I've Got It This Time – Sam Bankman-Fried
- I Like Money – Sam Bankman-Fried, Diddy
- Keys To My Heart – Luigi Mangione, Guard[14]
- Peace On Earth – Company[13]
- PSBF Interlude (Parts 1–4) – Sam Bankman-Fried
- Dear Manifest (Parts 1–5) – Luigi Mangione
- Dear Manifesto (Part 6) – Guard[14]
Characters and notable casts
| Character | 2025 San Francisco[8] |
|---|---|
| Luigi | Jonny Stein |
| SBF | André Margatini |
| Diddy | Janeé Lucas |
| Guard (Sgt. Delarosa) | Caleb Zeringue |
Productions
Original 2025 production
Previews for the musical began on June 13, 2025, at Taylor Street Theatre in San Francisco. The shows initial five-show run was sold out several weeks before it opened.[3][4][15]
Due to the shows popularity, an additional performance was later added at The Independent, a larger venue also in San Francisco.[3][4]
On August 1, the shows run at The Independent was extended, with two additional performances being added on August 6 and August 11. Both performances were sold out.[5]
Critical response
The original production of the musical received mixed reviews. Several critics panned the show for its subject matter, being produced too soon after Thompson's killing and before Mangione's trial had begun and for not justifying the hype surrounding it.[16][17] Other critics praised the production and its message, primarily surrounding healthcare in the United States.[18][19]
Lily Janiak, in her review of the original production of the show for the San Francisco Chronicle, panned the musical, writing, "If only the show itself could justify the hype, bringing national attention to an often underappreciated Bay Area theater scene. Unfortunately, it just isn’t any good."[17]
In his review of the original production for OnStage Blog, Chris Peterson criticized the show for being produced too soon, writing "No matter how you feel about the accused—whether you see him as a cautionary tale about privilege, a case study in mental illness, or just another man who allegedly snapped—building a musical comedy around him feels gross. It's too soon. The trial hasn’t even started. Families haven’t had their day in court. But sure, let’s add a kickline and call it critique."[16]
Reviewing the original production for the website Wonder Dave, Jonah Price gave a positive review, writing "Sure, as has been pointed out, not every note may have landed cleanly—but that’s part of what made the show feel so alive. In a city like this, in a moment like now, I’m not sure perfected polish is what we need most from our art—or if it is something I was going to expect from an independent production that went from concept to opening night in mere months. I left the theater shaken and inspired."[18]
In a positive review for The Independent, Josh Marcus, who attended the opening show, wrote "Truly excellent satire is like great delivery pizza: it should arrive right on time, nearly too hot to touch. That’s certainly the case for Luigi: the Musical..." [19]
Adaptations
Controversy
Various news outlets called the musical controversial and criticized it for being produced too soon after Thompson's killing and while Mangione remains a suspect in the killing.[14][20][21]
References
- ^ a b c "Luigi Mangione Is Now the Subject of a Musical". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-06-23. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ "'Luigi the Musical's the hottest show in town, and it hasn't even opened yet". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ a b c d e Gingras, Brynn; Tran, Linh (2025-06-14). "'Luigi the Musical' creators say the play is not what you expect". CNN. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ a b c Huston, Caitlin (2025-07-22). "Luigi Mangione Musical Eyes More Cities After Sold-Out San Francisco Run". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ a b Cristi, A. A. "LUIGI: THE MUSICAL Extends San Francisco Run at The Independent". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ "Luigi Mangione: Who is he and what is he being charged with?". www.bbc.com. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ Glenza, Jessica (2024-12-05). "Brian Thompson's killing sparks outrage over state of US healthcare". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ a b I., Isabella (2025-07-05). "Luigi Mangione...The Musical? This You Have To See". Instinct. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ Wright, Joshua (2025-04-30). "Luigi Mangione Musical Will Premiere in San Francisco". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ Ratliff, Laura (2025-06-28). "San Francisco's hit Luigi Mangione musical could be coming to NYC and L.A.—here's what to know". Time Out. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ xfancymangox (2025-06-21). "Honest Review of Luigi the Musical". Reddit. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b 'Luigi: The Musical' debuts in San Francisco. Retrieved 2025-08-02 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ a b Maxwell, Summer (2025-07-18). "San Francisco's 'Luigi: the Musical' shot me through the heart". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ a b c Provenzano, Jim (2025-07-13). "'Luigi the Musical' – The popular yet panned play satirizes a headline crime". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ "Luigi Mangione Musical Set to Debut Next Month. The Entire Run Is Already Sold Out". People.com. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ a b ""Luigi the Musical" is a Gross Misstep in the Name of Camp". OnStage Blog. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b Janiak, Lily (2025-06-14). "'Luigi the Musical' is the most talked-about play in S.F. It's also terrible". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b Price, Jonah. "'Luigi: the Musical' Is a Beautiful, Queer, Chaotic Lightning Rod". Wonder Dave - Comedian, Writer, Performer & Swell Human. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ a b Marcus, Josh (2025-06-15). "Luigi Mangione, Diddy and SBF walk into a jail: Wild musical about UnitedHealthcare assassination debuts in San Francisco". The Independent. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Wex, Sabina (2025-07-17). "Is it too soon for a musical about Luigi Mangione?". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
- ^ Nakano, Andrea (2025-06-13). "Satirical musical based on Luigi Mangione opens in San Francisco - CBS San Francisco". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2025-07-27.