Dave Chappelle show canceled by ‘woke’ theater, changes venue at last minute
Dave Chappelle’s Minnesota comedy show will go on Wednesday night — just at a different venue.
Just hours ahead of the controversial, 48-year-old funnyman’s set, the First Avenue concert venue in Minneapolis announced that the show would be moved to Varsity Theater — also in the city — where Chappelle is also scheduled to perform on Thursday and Friday.
“The Dave Chappelle show tonight at First Avenue has been cancelled and is moving to the Varsity Theater,” the statement posted to social media read.
“To staff, artists and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.”
The statement continued, “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have.
The note also acknowledged that “some will not agree” with the decision and they are “welcome” to send feedback to the venue.
The Varsity Theater, meanwhile, posted its own announcement on Twitter Wednesday evening, saying all First Avenue tickets “will be honored” and that they “highly” recommend that audience members arrive early. Numerous tweeters applauded the venue for not caving to the “woke mob.”
The club’s switcheroo alludes to the backlash it received for booking Chappelle in the first place due to the jokes he made regarding the transgender community in his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer.”
“They canceled J.K. Rowling, my God,” he said in the show. “Effectually she said gender was a fact, and then the trans community got mad as s–t, they started calling her a TERF.”
Then he unknowingly sparked outrage, declaring himself a member of “Team TERF” — meaning trans-exclusionary radical feminists.
“I agree,” he continued. “I agree, man. Gender is a fact. You have to look at it from a woman’s perspective.”
After Netflix walkouts, employee complaints and social outcry, the comedian still defended his joke in an Instagram video, saying in October, “To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anyone’s demands.”
Still, the project earned Chapelle two Emmy nominations for both variety special and directing for a variety special. However, he declined to have his name on his high school’s theater because of the drama.
He was also memorably attacked onstage by an armed audience member, Isaiah Lee, during a show at the Hollywood Bowl in May.
Moments after the disruption, guest Chris Rock came on stage and gave Chappelle a hug before saying, “Was that Will Smith?” referring to the latter’s wild, infamous slap during the Emmy-nominated Oscars 2022 broadcast in March.
The Post has contacted a representative for Chappelle for comment.
Read the full article Here
