Board game Monopoly to break into Broadway

Monopoly, the all-time popular board game that ruined friendships and detoured real estate gaming around the globe, is about to “pass go” its way to conquer a new property: Broadway.

Hasbro Toys announced on Monday that  “Monopoly: The Musical” is in the works, and will be co-organized by theatrical production company The Araca Group. The new partnership will allow the theatrical company to turn not only Monopoly but also other Hasbro properties into Broadway musicals.

The Araca Group was the brains behind various Broadway shows over the years, such as “Shuffle Along,” “The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921,” “All That Followed, Disgraced” and “Urinetown.” On the other hand, Hasbro’s big-time toys include “Magic: The Gathering,” “My Little Pony,” “Nerf” and “Transformers.”

“I can tell you this: It’s not going to be a musical about people sitting around playing Monopoly,”  promised Matthew Rego of the Araca Group to entertainment news site Variety. “What turns us on is creating something that explores the world of Monopoly, kind of like the Lego movies have done with Legos.”

A report by Huffington Post said both companies wish to emulate the success of Danish toy brand Lego, which expanded their name into Legoland theme parks and the 2014 blockbuster film, “Lego Movie.”

It said further details such as the target date and production timeline would be disclosed in the coming months. Gianna Francesca Catolico