Fansided

Monopoly the Musical could be coming to Broadway

By Leah Smith

FAIRFAX, CA - FEBRUARY 06: In this photo illustration, Monopoly game pieces are displayed on February 6, 2013 in Fairfax, California. Toy maker Hasbro, Inc. announced today that fans of the board game Monopoly voted in an online contest to eliminate the iron playing figure and replace it with a cat figure. The cat game piece received 31 percent of the online votes to beat out four other contenders, a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar. (Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
FAIRFAX, CA - FEBRUARY 06: In this photo illustration, Monopoly game pieces are displayed on February 6, 2013 in Fairfax, California. Toy maker Hasbro, Inc. announced today that fans of the board game Monopoly voted in an online contest to eliminate the iron playing figure and replace it with a cat figure. The cat game piece received 31 percent of the online votes to beat out four other contenders, a robot, diamond ring, helicopter and guitar. (Photo illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) /
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Hasbro has joined forces with Broadway producing company Araca Group to bring some of their properties to the stage, starting with Monopoly.

In recent years, many movies have been adapted into musicals with varying degrees of success: Shrek, Legally Blonde, Bring It On and Billy Elliot, to name just a few. But could a board game very make the leap on to the stage?

According to Variety, Hasbro plans to attempt this feat by bringing Monopoly the Musical to Broadway. Hasbro has already turned some of their toys into successful films and more are on the way with the upcoming My Little Pony movie.

Simon Waters, Hasbro’s general manager and SVP of entertainment and consumer products, sees the stage as the next logical step in making sure Hasbro is an immersive experience instead of just toys.

"We’re expanding our franchises and building immersive experiences. To bring our properties to life onstage is just the next level of immersion."

Hasbro will not be alone in its quest to bring Monopoly the Musical to the stage, as the company has paired up with Broadway producing company Araca Group. Araca has helped to produce musicals such as Wicked,and Shuffle Along while being involved with the merchandising efforts of Matilda and The Book of Mormon. In non-Broadway related work, the company does brand extension work for music acts such as Beyonce and Brittany Spears. Hasbro and Araca have worked together previously on a merchandise deal for Magic: The Gathering.

There are no details yet on what Monopoly the Musical will be about or any creative team in place, and no clear idea of what the plot, setting, or musical style will be. A member of the Araca Group, Matthew Rego, does have a clear idea of what the musical won’t be about, so at least that is a start.

"I can tell you this: It’s not going to be a musical about people sitting around playing Monopoly. What turns us on is creating something that explores the world of Monopoly, kind of like the Lego movies have done with Legos."

There is no timeline of when Monopoly the Musical will be arriving on the Great White Way, but it is just one part of Hasbro’s plan to bring their toys and games to a stage. Broadway is the goal for their most popular properties like Monopoly, but they are also exploring all avenues for stage productions. Those include national tours, amusement parks and cruise ships, as well as creating licensed content specifically created for use in high school, college or community theater productions.

Basically, every stage that a play or musical could be performed on, Hasbro wants to make sure there is a production based on one of their projects that could be performed on it. But first, Monopoly the Musical, coming to Broadway at some point in the future.

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