In San Francisco, the satirical show ‘Luigi: The Musical’ was a hit, attracting significant attention from both the public and critics. The main characters of the musical include the scandalously famous founder of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), rapper Sean Combs, better known as P. Diddy, and Luigi Mangione, who is accused of murdering a top executive at UnitedHealthcare.
This is reported by Бізнес • Медіа
The Musical as a Mirror of Modern Scandals
The script of the show transports the audience to an imaginary cell in New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where this trio supposedly spent time together in December 2024. Sam Bankman-Fried, currently serving time in a low-security prison in Los Angeles, is portrayed as a housemate of P. Diddy and Luigi Mangione. The latter is accused of a high-profile crime, while P. Diddy is involved in human trafficking cases.
The role of SBF is played by actor Andre Margatini. His character appears on stage in a TED Talk style, humorously commenting on the realities of Silicon Valley, performing the song ‘Bay Area Baby,’ where he refers to himself as the ‘golden child of Palo Alto,’ and even suggests to the prison guard to ‘tokenize incarceration.’
“I think we are all quite curious about systems in general. We talk about healthcare, but also about technology and entertainment,” commented lead actor Johnny Stein for CNN.
Public and Critical Reaction
Tickets for the show at the 49-seat Taylor Street Theatre sold out within a day of going on sale, and the audience greeted each scene with applause, despite the controversies surrounding the involvement of characters with high-profile criminal cases. The San Francisco Chronicle rated the production as a profound metaphor for systemic crisis, where SBF embodies the bankrupt ‘crypto king,’ Mangione represents failure in healthcare, and P. Diddy symbolizes the dark side of show business.
Given the high demand, the organizers are planning additional performances, including a major show at The Independent venue, which accommodates 500 spectators. The performance is scheduled for July 13.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Sam Bankman-Fried will remain behind bars until December 14, 2044.