The San Francisco Giants organization has acquired the city’s historic live theater venue the Curran for an undisclosed amount from owner Carole Shorenstein Hays in a private transaction.
The purchase was announced today by Giants President & CEO Larry Baer and Shorenstein Hays.
A major player in San Francisco’s cultural landscape and a prolific presenter and producer of live theater – both Wicked and August Wilson’s Fences played the Curran before their celebrated Broadway productions – the Curran was home to The Phantom of The Opera from 1993 to 1999, the longest continuously running production of the musical outside of New York and London.
“Acquiring the Curran,” said the Giants’ Baer, “expands our commitment to San Francisco and reinforces our core belief that sports, arts and culture are essential to San Francisco’s identity, economy and resurgence. We intend to honor the Curran’s storied past steeped in Broadway shows and musicals and continue to build and expand the offerings of live performances reflective of our city’s culture, inclusive of music, comedy and family entertainment.”
Shorenstein Hays, who purchased the 103-year-old building in 2010 and assumed full operational control in 2015, said, “The Curran is where I first fell in love with the theater as a young girl, and its curation has been the center of my professional life since I acquired it in 2010. It was essential to me that its next stewards would ensure it remains a vibrant home for artists and audiences alike. I am so pleased that the Giants have stepped up to the plate.”
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie called the acquisition “a landmark moment for San Francisco, representing an unprecedented commitment by the Giants to the cultural life of our city. It sends a powerful signal of confidence in downtown and Union Square and the essential role the arts and entertainment play in driving our city forward.”
In addition to Broadway-style theater, the Curran played a significant role in motion picture history, serving as a Broadway theater in the 1950 classic All About Eve.
Under Shorenstein Hays’ leadership, and in creative partnership with her husband, Dr. Jeffrey P. Hays, and their children Wally Hays and Gracie Hays, the theater underwent a major renovation and restructuring, reopening for legitimate theater in 2017 with the celebrated musical Fun Home. Other recent productions include Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, and the Joe Robertson-Joe Murphy play The Jungle.
Broadway SF will continue to operate the Curran and the existing agreement with Broadway SF and the Ambassador Theater Group is not impacted by the sale. All current programming will continue as scheduled.
Lisbeth R. Barron and the team at Barron International Group, LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor to The Curran and the Shorenstein Hays family.