Legal Battle Ends in Ousting of Curran Theater Operator Carole Shorenstein Hays

The legal battle has ended between Bay Area theater's top producers, and has led to the ousting of operator of the Curran Theater, Carole Shorenstein Hays, according to Datebook. The Curran has been turned over to Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG).

Hays lost her case to her former partner, Robert Nederlander, over a non-compete clause, which stated that the Curran would not compete for the staging of any Broadway productions within 50 miles of San Francisco. It was determined by the Delaware Supreme Court that Hays violated this agreement when the Curran staged Dear Evan Hansen last season, as well as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is coming to the Curran this fall. Cursed Child will still go on as planned, despite the theater now being leased to ATG.

This decision overturns an earlier ruling by Delaware Chancery Court, which was in favor of Hays, allowing the Curran to present Dear Evan Hansen and move forward with acquiring Cursed Child.

Despite this decision, Hays will still own the Curran and maintain her 50 percent partnership with SHN, the operator of the Orpheum and Golden Gate.

SHN attorney Matthew Larrabee said that he will be pursuing damages for the Curran's production of Dear Evan Hansen, as well as other touring shows the theater staged, including Fun Home, Bright Star, and Eclipse.

Read more on Datebook, and read the full decision here.

Built in 1922, the Curran has housed some of the biggest productions in theater history. Now, almost a century after it welcomed its first Bay Area audiences, the Curran has just completed a major restoration and renovation. The Curran reopened its 1,600 seat venue in January 2017 with the groundbreaking musical Fun Home. Since then, the theatre has welcomed productions including Bright Star, Taylor Mac's Decades, Head Over Heels, Soft Power, Dear Evan Hansen, The Jungle, and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child.

SHN (Shorenstein Hays Nederlander) brings live entertainment experiences to San Francisco's premier venues, the Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres. SHN presents current hits fresh from Broadway, original Broadway cast productions, pre-Broadway premieres and one-of-a-kind events that are at the forefront of the national theater scene.