Luigi Mangione musical to premiere on West Coast in June

Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun on May 1, 2025

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A musical comedy inspired by Luigi Mangione is set to debut next month in California — illustrating how the Towson native accused of stalking and fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has become something of a folk hero to many.

“Luigi: the Musical” is being described on its website as “a story of love, murder and hash browns.”

The musical, which was inspired by the coincidence that Mangione is housed in the same prison as rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and cryptocurrency czar Samuel Bankman-Fried, will premiere June 13 at San Francisco’s Taylor Street Theater.

The website says that the “wildly irreverent, razor-sharp comedy” explores the nature of friendship, justice and overnight fame, and concludes: “If you like your comedy smart and your show tunes with a criminal record, Luigi is your new favorite felony.”

The five-show run already is sold out, though the website notes that additional performances will be scheduled.

Mangione, who grew up in Towson and was valedictorian of the Gilman School class of 2016, is accused of gunning down the 50-year-old Thompson on a Manhattan street on Dec. 4. He was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after he partially removed his face mask to eat some hash browns and was recognized by an employee of the fast-food restaurant and another customer.

The musical’s three creators told The San Francisco Chronicle that they aren’t attempting to glorify homicide.

“We’re not valorizing these characters,” show co-creator Nova Bradford said, “and we’re not trivializing their alleged actions.”

Mangione’s popularity exploded following his arrest as he gained sympathy with his reported anger toward the health insurance industry.

There were Luigi Mangione look-alike contests on college campuses, along with artwork on social media depicting the murder suspect attired in the robes and halo of a Christian saint.

Mangione received so many books, photos and letters during the first two months of his incarceration that he released a Valentine’s Day statement on a website set up by his legal team thanking his fans for their support but asking them to limit the number of gifts they sent him.

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