Previous usher now runs 3 big theaters in San Francisco

Rainier Koeners remaining home at the age of 17 and finished up in London to go after his enthusiasm for theater.

Acquiring by now completed very a bit of theater function in his hometown of Zoetermeer in the Netherlands throughout his teenager many years, Koeners would ultimately enroll in the Guildford University of Acting following landing in England.

Yet, it was a non-acting gig — doing work as an usher at the West End’s famed Piccadilly Theatre — that definitely pointed him towards his future in the theater earth.

“During my time operating there, I grew to become informed that it was possible to have a job in theater outside of getting an actor and that is when I created up my thoughts — I desired to run my personal theater,” he states.

The firm that employed him at the time was the powerhouse Ambassador Theatre Team (ATG) and he’d steadily get the job done his way up from usher to management at the corporation.

In 2019, Koeners relocated to San Francisco to be the handling director of the Curran Theatre and oversee the opening of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” for ATG. He describes the shift as the “best detail that could have happened.”

Two a long time afterwards, ATG obtained BroadwaySF — which hosts touring Broadway shows at the Orpheum and Golden Gate theaters — and Koeners would provide as taking care of director for those attributes as very well.

We lately experienced the opportunity to chat with Koeners about all points ATG in the Bay Spot.

Q: How would you explain “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” to someone who has yet to see it?

A: The stunning element of this engage in is that you do not have to be a Harry Potter admirer to delight in it. Soon after all, it was preferred by the Tony voters as most effective enjoy not only simply because of its spectacular creation values but also mainly because of its common and pretty true human themes.

We fulfill Harry 19 several years after we very last observed him. He now has a son, Albus, who goes to Hogwarts and the play really is about Albus’ partnership with his father and his best mate Scorpius. And as you can envision, a substantial adventure ensues with all the magic you hope from the motion pictures occurring dwell on stage in front of your eyes.

So you have this fantastic human tale about associations then it receives matched with some of the most unbelievable scenic features and specific results ever found on a phase and, all all over, this tends to make for a really breathtaking evening in the theater.

Q: ATG acquired Orpheum and Golden Gate in 2021. Why did the organization think that people theaters would be superior additions to the business?

A: ATG now owns and operates dozens of venues across the U.K., Germany and the U.S. Most of ATG’s functions to day have been in the U.K., in which the corporate place of work is, but ATG began growing into North America a couple of years back.

I firmly consider that S.F. is a impressive theater market, possibly the finest outdoors of New York. S.F. is also regarded as a single of the premier touring markets. So when these theaters came onto the market place, we jumped at the possibility.

Our mission as a organization is to carry the very best attainable demonstrates to as several people as possible, and we feel like we absolutely lucked out remaining ready to consider ownership of these two extremely essential theaters. And I, of training course, sense like the luckiest guy alive to be heading up ATG’s operation in S.F.

Q: Your time in San Francisco has overlapped with the pandemic. What had been these early days like in March 2020 as you have been pressured to close down the “Harry Potter” engage in?

A: No a single anticipated the pandemic to near our functions for practically 2 years. We were being 1 of the initially industries to shut down and the very last to open back again up. “Harry Potter” had just opened up and was doing genuinely very well. When the pandemic started, we all imagined this would blow over within just a few of months.

“Harry Potter” was initially conceived as a two-component perform and on March 11, we have been halfway through Aspect 1 when the mandate to near was issued. Persons left with unhappiness, concern but also hope for returning quickly.

We experienced to lay off our full workers and all of the actors and crew working on the creation. That was heartbreaking, but we had to commence battling for our survival.

We made the motivation that we would continue to keep everyone’s career open up for our return and fortunately we were ready to do that. It just took way for a longer period than we could at any time have predicted.

Q: What was the procedure of reopening theaters like for you and your staff members?

A: There is a explanation why the Bay Region did not see the figures of COVID deaths and bacterial infections as some of the relaxation of the state. It’s because we consider in science, comply with the information of well being professionals and did not facial area many of the politically-inflicted limitations to masks.

As a end result, our local community arrived out powerful on the other finish of the pandemic, but understandably we remained — and continue to are — careful.  So when we declared we have been reopening a large aspect of our audiences ended up rearing to go and a different large portion was — and in some instances however is — not pretty prepared nonetheless.

And that is Ok, the time will appear. Our task is to make confident absolutely everyone understands that returning to the theater is secure. We follow the medical communities’ and city’s assistance genuinely closely, so are always up-to-date on anything we need to do to securely operate our company.

Q: What has the reaction been like from fans who have returned to theaters soon after the prolonged COVID-dictated split?

A: Our very first exhibit returning was “Hamilton” — that experienced performed a 1½-calendar year operate at the Orpheum up until finally the pandemic shut down. Throughout the pandemic, the “Hamilton” established and costumes stayed on our stage untouched from the matinee performed on March 11, 2020.

Our first performance back was rather a little something. As a thank you, we invited initial responders that experienced been on the front traces not just of health care, but also had been on the floor wanting soon after our communities and buildings all over the pandemic and the response was overwhelming.

To say there wasn’t a dry eye in the residence — which include myself — is not an exaggeration. It experienced been a very long two a long time.

The minute the clearly show began, the ovation was extended and persons — even the cast — were being prevail over with emotion.

By the 50 %-dozen productions we’ve experienced here considering the fact that that time, we have noticed the continuous electricity of reside theater reaching audiences. They are so happy to be again and working experience the thrill of dwell amusement.

Rainier Koeners

Enterprise: BroadwaySF and Curran Theatre (section of the Ambassador Theatre Team)

Situation: Managing director

Age: 40

Hometown: Zoetermeer, the Netherlands

City of residence: San Francisco

Schooling: Theater, movie and Tv set reports, University of Utrecht, Netherlands publish graduate musical theatre, Guildford College of Acting, London

Five Items about Rainier Koeners

Koeners is a massive pet dog particular person. “My Australian Labradoodle Charlie moved from the U.K. to S.F. and enjoys being the only pet in town with a British Accent,” Koeners suggests. “I am certain he thinks he is the king of Duboce Park.

He loves remaining out on the drinking water. “My all-time retirement dream is to have a little boat and get men and women out whale seeing in the Monterey Bay,” he says.

Koeners the moment labored as a singer on a German Cruise ship in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. He states it was “hard operate, but it similarly felt like one particular big vacation.”

He was in no way a big sports activities lover – right until he moved to San Francisco. Now, he adores baseball and roots on the Giants.

He enjoys touring: “Whether it is tenting in 15 levels in Yellowstone or climbing Haleakala Volcano on Maui, I am usually looking for my future new experience.”