The San Francisco Giants Acquire the Curran Theatre
The Curran has hosted influential pre-Broadway and landmark productions, including the world premiere engagement of Wicked.
The San Francisco Giants organization has acquired the historic Curran from Shorenstein Hays in a private transaction.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie remarked, “This is 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.”
Originally opened in 1922, the Curran Theatre has long been a cornerstone of San Francisco’s cultural landscape and a venue where major American theater has been made. Over the decades, the Curran has hosted influential pre-Broadway and Landmark Productions, including August Wilson’s Fences — which was solely produced by Carole Shorenstein Hays and played the Curran prior which played the Curran prior to its Broadway transfer and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize—as well as the world premiere engagement of Wicked, ahead of its historic Broadway run. The theater has also welcomed celebrated productions of classics such as Hello, Dolly!, famously performed there by San Francisco native Carol Channing. Between 1993 and 1999, the Curran was home to The Phantom of the Opera, making it the longest continuously running production of the landmark musical outside of New York and London. Beyond the stage, the Curran holds a unique place in American film history, having served as the stand-in Broadway theater for All About Eve.
Its most recent incarnation was shaped by Carole Shorenstein Hays’ sole stewardship, which began when she purchased the building in 2010 and assumed full operational control in 2015. That transition marked a deliberate reinvention of the Curran. Under her leadership, and in creative partnership with her husband, Dr. Jeffrey P. Hays, as well as their children, Wally Hays and Gracie Hays, the theater underwent a major renovation and restructuring. It officially reopened in 2016, with the World Premiere of the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Fences starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Under its new leadership, the Curran became a nationally recognized home for bold, artist-driven work and innovative theatrical experiences, including Fun Home, Taylor Mac's 24-Decade History of Popular Music, The Jungle, and a range of non-traditional live events and community gatherings, many of which were aimed at students, including the first ever student production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock, performed by Oakland School for the Arts. This period reaffirmed the Curran’s role not only as a historic venue, but as a forward-looking cultural institution.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who has represented California’s 11th congressional district (in which the Curran is located) since 1987, said, “Through generations, the Shorensteins have helped shape and enrich San Francisco’s public life, and Carole has carried that legacy forward with extraordinary care through her stewardship of the Curran. Like Carole’s family, the San Francisco Giants are both guided by the idea that the strength of a city is measured not only by its skyline, but by its institutions, its culture, and its community. They will ensure the Curran remains a vibrant and vital beacon for years to come.”
Founded in 1883, the San Francisco Giants are one of the most storied franchises in professional sports and a defining institution in the city they have called home since 1958. With three World Series championships and a multigenerational fan base, the Giants have played a central role in San Francisco’s cultural identity, including the creation of Oracle Park, one of the city’s most iconic community gathering places. Beyond baseball, the organization has long embraced a broader civic mission, investing in community, culture and the long-term vitality of San Francisco.
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.
