Enquirer: Docuseries exposing McDonald's rigged monopoly game has a Cincinnati director
UC alumni involved in new HBO show, 'McMillion$'
"McMillion$" co-director Brian Lazarte with CCM's electronic media division head Kevin Burke at the "McMillion$" premiere.
A new HBO series tells the 20-year-old story of a rigged McDonald's Monopoly game, where tickets were stolen and sold.
But what you might find interesting is that the documentary series has a University of Cincinnati link.
Cincinnati native and UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Brian Lazarte produced and co-directed "McMillion$," which premiered Feb. 3 on HBO.
The Cincinnati Enquirer spoke to Lazarte about the series and his time at UC.
"Every project that you do builds on your skill set," Lazarte said. "CCM was certainly a critical foundation for mine."
Lazarte said it's been important to involve a former or current CCM student in his projects. So he worked with Kevin Burke, division head of electronic media at CCM, to bring in an intern. For "McMillion$," that was Jared Bailey.
"Brian really pushed to have someone from our program come out there," Burke said.
"This was a unique opportunity for [creator James Lee Hernandez] and myself to make this project and something that we're very passionate about and that we remain very passionate about and we wanted to find the right person," Lazarte said. "So we put together a little contest and we got a great intern, Jared."
Related Stories
UC expands partnership with Thales for AI research
April 22, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s interdisciplinary research facility Digital Futures welcomed its first industrial partner, Thales, at the beginning of Research + Innovation week. Thales is a global aerospace, defense and digital technology firm. Headquartered in France, it employs 83,000 people in dozens of countries, according to the Business Courier.
Mini-brain reveals how concussions trigger neurodegenerative cascades
April 21, 2026
Medical XPress highlights biomedical engineering research at the University of Cincinnati that used a mini-brain model to study the cascade of neurodegenerative effects caused by blunt-force trauma associated with concussions.
Business Courier: CCM graduate quartet Poiesis signals future of classical music
April 21, 2026
The Cincinnati Business Courier recently featured CCM graduate student ensemble Poiesis Quartet. Before they graduate with their Artist Diploma degrees from CCM, the quartet performs a free concert in Cohen Family Studio Theatre on Friday, April 24.