Cosby show will go ahead in Hamilton

The old saying in the entertainment industry is “The show must go on.” In this instance, we’re talking about Bill Cosby’s show in Hamilton set for next month, which as of Friday night, is still on.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of opposition to the show from ticket holders, women’s groups, and even the city.

Supermodel Beverly Johnson is the latest to accuse Cosby of drugging her.

In an interview with “The Today Show,” Johnson said Bill Cosby invited her to his home to audition for a part on “The Cosby Show” in 1986. She says he offered her a cappuccino: “The room started to spin a little and I was getting very woozy, I took another sip and at that point, I knew I had been drugged.”

Johnson says she went into survival mode, became upset, and says Cosby dragged her towards the stairs. she says he then put her in a taxi and slammed the door.

An attorney for Cosby had no comment on the latest allegations. Bill Cosby has denied sexually assaulting a string of women who have come forward with accusations.

It’s that kind of allegation that has two Burlington sisters regretting a Christmas gift purchased for their parent. Instead, Barb Nixon, and her sister Sarah, want their money back from the scheduled January 9th performance by comedian Bill Cosby at Hamilton Place.

The 77-year old Cosby has a long legacy of laughter, spanning more than five decades, world-wide. But he has faced with a string of sexual assault allegations. No one is laughing with Cosby now.

What Barb Nixon and her sister Sarah are going to get, is a man tainted by allegations of sexual assault: “It’s been very frustrating. We bought these tickets for our dad for Christmas and we expected Dr. Huxtable and that’s not who we’re going to get.”

Almost two dozen women have come forward to say they were drugged and raped by comedian Bill Cosby including model Beverley Johnson, the latest to add her name to the list.

Nixon: “When we bought these tickets originally in November, none of this was in the news, none of this was out in public. We bought the tickets in good faith.”

Be that as it may:

Scott Warren: “We would be in breach if we were to cancel anything. And we can’t put ourselves in that legal situation.”

Scott Warren, of Global Spectrum says it’s not his show. His company is merely providing the venue to Chicago promoter Innovation Arts & Entertainment. Any refund would have to come from them: “We work closely with the promoter just in terms of letting him know the feedback that we’re getting. But untimately, the promoter has indicated, the show is going on as scheduled.”

The City of Hamilton is also stepping away from the controversy. Arts Hamilton Chair and councillor Sam Merulla saying the city is merely a landlord, with no operational authority.

So, the show will go on, for now.

Lenore Lukasik-Foss: “If you agree this is not good, please contact Global Spectrum so that our voices can be heard.”

Lenore Lukasik-Foss heads a coalition of more than 20 community agencies supporting women. They have now called for a protest outside Hamilton Place on the date of the show, January 9th. Which leaves Barb, even more upset: “Who wants to walk through anywhere while there’s a protest happening. I don’t, do you?”

Lukasik-Foss: “Woman Abuse Working Group is hoping we won’t have to have a gathering of folks in front of the performance because we are hoping that the performance will be cancelled.”

Despite all the negative publicity surrounding Cosby, tickets are still being sold. And Global Spectrum says that at the moment, there’s a greater number of tickets going out, than complaints coming in.
If you feel strongly about the show and want to complain however, you should contact the promoter, Innovation Arts & Entertainment directly
at +1 312-274-1800 or click on the link.