Andrew Schulz, a comedian based in New York City, recently accused the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) of canceling the taping of his scheduled stand-up special shortly after he hosted former President Donald Trump on his podcast. Schulz had booked shows at BAM over a month ago, but was informed just a week before tickets were set to go on sale that he was no longer welcome at the venue. Schulz shared an email from BAM citing internal discussions with leadership as the reason for the cancellation, without providing further explanation.
Schulz expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that he does not know for certain whether the cancellation was due to his interview with Trump, but the timing of the decision raised suspicions. He had been preparing for the shows and tickets were about to go on sale, so the sudden cancellation came as a shock. A producer of the “Flagrant” podcast, on which Schulz hosts, suggested that it could not have been related to Schulz’s comedy material as venue leadership had reviewed and approved it.
Now faced with the challenge of finding a new venue for his special at short notice, Schulz is determined to make it happen as soon as possible. Despite the setback at BAM, he remains committed to recording his stand-up special and is actively searching for an alternative location. The producer on the podcast mentioned that the situation felt personal, indicating that external factors beyond Schulz’s material may have influenced the decision to cancel the shows.
As of the time of the report, BAM had not responded to requests for comment on the matter. Schulz’s interview with Trump on his podcast, which garnered over 4.6 million views on YouTube, has sparked controversy and speculation about the reasons behind the cancellation. In response to the situation, Schulz humorously mentioned that the BAM board’s actions have influenced his voting decisions and jokingly predicted that Trump would win the upcoming election “by a landslide.”
In addition to hosting Trump, Schulz also extended an invitation to Vice President Kamala Harris to appear on his podcast. However, Harris’ team did not seem enthusiastic about the idea, according to Schulz. Despite the challenges faced with the cancellation at BAM, Schulz remains dedicated to continuing his work in stand-up comedy and podcasting. The incident has shed light on issues related to censorship and freedom of expression in artistic and comedic spaces, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced by performers in navigating controversial topics and discussions.
