As protesters demonstrated outside, Bill Cosby drew laughter and cheers from the audience during a nearly two-hour set in Ontario Wednesday night for the first stop on the Canadian leg of the embattled entertainer’s tour.
The 77-year-old performer was greeted with applause as he arrived onstage at 7:30 p.m. at Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ont., in his first performance since November.
As planned, a small group of demonstrators stood outside the venue in freezing temperatures just prior to Cosby’s show. As attendees streamed in just prior to show time, a few protesters briefly blocked the entrance to the venue.
Some of them shouted “you support rape,” and “rape is no joke” as ticket-holders arrived to take their seats inside.
More than 15 women have come forward in recent months, saying Cosby drugged or sexually assaulted them, or both. Cosby’s lawyer has denied many of the allegations, some of which date back to the 1970s. Cosby has never been criminally charged in connection with any of the alleged incidents.
Stella Goertzen told The Canadian Press that the show should have been cancelled.
“I think they should have closed down the venue and just said you know what, this is not good for our city,” Goertzen said. “I’m against violence against women.”
Some ticket-holders defended Cosby upon arriving for the show.
“I’m skeptical of all the accusations,” Gerald Reinink told The Associated Press. “I always loved Cosby; good family humour.”
Tammy Kehn said that she was just there to enjoy the show.
“We just felt like we still wanted to see the entertainment we paid for,” she said. “It’s up to the law to decide if there’s a problem.”
She added that the protesters were also “entitled” to their opinions. “We’re all here for our own reasons.”
As the show started, Cosby, wearing a grey sweatshirt with the words ‘Hello friend,’ greeted the crowd by saying “first of all, thank you,” before launching into a series of jokes about the cold weather in Canada.
Minutes before show time, an announcer inside the venue warned of possible disruptions, echoing an earlier statement from Cosby’s public relations firm that addressed the possibility of protests inside the Canadian venues. A number of police officers could also be seen patrolling the venue.
However, it appeared there were no audience interruptions during the 105-minute set, in which Cosby cracked jokes about his family and growing old.
At the end, the comedian received a standing ovation.
In a brief statement released after the show, Cosby said he wanted to “personally” thank the audience for “giving me the opportunity to bring laughter back into your lives tonight.
“Also, I would like to applaud all of you and give you a standing ovation for respecting yourselves, the theatre … and the event organizers that produced a spectacular show for the Kitchener community.”
Cosby is also scheduled to perform in London, Ont., on Thursday and Hamilton, Ont., on Friday.
Earlier Wednesday, three more women went public with claims of sexual assault. At a news conference with human rights lawyer Gloria Allred, the women described how Cosby inappropriately touched them decades ago.
Reading a statement, Allred touched on the planned protests north of the border.
“I can assure them, and the people of Canada, that they also have a stake in this issue, and we are very appreciative of their support,” Allred said.
Alternative events
In the weeks leading up to the Canadian tour dates, local women’s groups had been calling on the venues to cancel Cosby’s Ontario tour dates. But organizers say they’re contractually obligated to go ahead with the performances.
In each Ontario city where Cosby is scheduled to perform, sexual assault victims groups are organizing alternative events to raise awareness about violence against women. The local community has planned a show called Voices Carry, which was being held in Kitchener at the same time as Cosby's show.
All proceeds raised through ticket sales will go to help local organizations. Organizers said that those with Cosby tickets were welcome to attend their show for free.
“We’re really excited about this in terms of the good we can do in the community,” said Voices Carry organizer Shirley Lichti.
Cosby’s North American tour has had to cancel or postpone 10 shows due to the backlash brought forth by the growing number of sexual assault allegations.
The comedian rose to fame playing beloved dad Dr. Cliff Huxtable on the sitcom “The Cosby Show,” which ran from 1984 to 1992.
On Tuesday, one of Cosby’s former co-stars spoke out to defend him. Phylicia Rashad, who starred as Cosby’s sitcom wife, said in an interview that the allegations are “orchestrated” and causing the “destruction of a legacy.”
With files from CTV Kitchener, The Canadian Press and AP
