New York’s long-running theatrical production of “Sleep No More” is embroiled in a legal battle with its landlord, Centaur Properties, over alleged disputes over unpaid rent and rent.
The drama, Shakespearean in nature, began earlier this year when Centaur moved to evict the immersive “Macbeth” experience from the McKittrick Hotel in Chelsea, claiming the show’s permit had expired more than two years ago, according to The Real Deal.
In response, Sleep No More, operating under its entity PDNYC, filed its own lawsuit accusing Centauri of reneging on a prior agreement. The production company claimed that Centaur had initially agreed to change the terms of the lease as the lessor faced financial difficulties.
Centaur Properties is now seeking $4.5 million in rent from the show’s guarantors, Arthur Karpati and Jonathan Hochwald, and is also pushing to dismiss the production’s lawsuit.
Centaur has enlisted the law firm Oved & Oved, known for defending real estate families in high-stakes litigation.
“This dispute is not about principle, but about substance,” attorneys Terrence and Darren Oved told TRD in a statement. “PDNYC’s complaint is a baseless, misguided and transparent attempt to avoid its obligation to pay over $4 million in back rent.”
A representative for Sleep No More did not respond to requests for comment.
The production lawsuit contains several allegations against Centaur, including claims of an agreement to increase rent by $5.1 million for the first year to help Centaur refinance its mortgage. However, Centaur’s latest filings deny the existence of such an agreement and reveal that they notified their lender of their decision to extend the maturity date of their loan to May 2028.
Centaur argues that the show’s claim for damages is without merit, as the production continues to use the premises without paying rent. Furthermore, Centaur maintains that it did not seek to terminate the lease due to refinancing issues.
The owner purchased the Hotel McKittrick property in 2007 for $29.4 million. Sleep No More has been a tenant since 2010, usually staging eight shows a week.
The show is expected to end this year, closing its final run in September. 29.
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