Luigi Mangione musical sells out
Mangione is accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024.
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Amusical 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. 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.
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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.
