Luigi Mangione to be focus of new musical premiering in San Francisco

Luigi Mangione, accused in the killing of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, will be the focus on a new musical debuting in San Francisco on June 13.

The 60-minute musical is currently scheduled for five performances at the Taylor Street Theater, according to .

The production is described as "a wildly irreverent, razor-sharp comedy that imagines the true story of Luigi Mangione, the alleged corporate assassin turned accidental folk hero."

The show will also focus on his time at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn with fellow inmates and Sean "Diddy" Combs. Bankman-Fried was convicted to 25 years in prison for fraud charges from his time as founder and head of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Combs is scheduled to go to trial on Monday in a sex-trafficking case. Combs has pleaded not guilty.

Luigi Mangione, 26, pleaded not guilty April 25 to a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Prosecutors formally declared their intent to seek the death penalty, and the judge warned Justice Department officials to refrain from making public comments that could spoil his right to a fair trial.

A cause célèbre for people upset with the health insurance industry, Mangione’s federal arraignment drew dozens of people to court, including former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who served prison time for stealing classified diplomatic cables.

Some lined up for hours in front of the courthouse steps, trying to snag a seat inside. Others rallied across the street as a pair of advertising trucks drove around playing videos denouncing the health insurance industry and the death penalty.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family, faces separate murders in federal and state court, where he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison.

The tagline of the musical production is "A story of love, murder and hash browns." It is directed by Nova Bradford, produced by Caleb Zeringue and written by Bradford, Arielle Johnson, Caleb Zeringue and Andre Margatini, .

Prosecutors had expected the state case to go to trial first, but Mangione’s lawyers said they want the federal case to take precedent because it involves the death penalty. Because of the many legal issues involved in capital cases, Mangione’s federal case will move at a slower pace than non-death penalty prosecutions.

Mangione is next due in federal court on Dec. 5, a day after the one-year anniversary of Thompson’s death. His next appearance in the state case is set for June 26. No trial date has been set in either case.

Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind as the executive arrived for UnitedHealthcare’s annual investor conference. Police say the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were scrawled on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase commonly used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

The killing and ensuing five-day search leading to Mangione’s arrest rattled the business community while galvanizing health insurance critics who rallied around Mangione as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty bills.

Mangione was arrested Dec. 9 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles west of New York City and whisked to Manhattan by plane and helicopter.

Police said Mangione had a 9mm handgun that matched the one used in the shooting and other items including a notebook in which they say he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and wealthy executives.

Among the entries, prosecutors said, was one from last August that said “the target is insurance” because “it checks every box” and one from October that describes an intent to “wack” an insurance CEO. UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, has said Mangione was never a client.

is scheduled to play Mangione in the musical.

The musical is expected to announce additional notes. No word if the production has plans to come to New York City.