The show will go on: Bill Cosby tour still scheduled to hit Ontario

While Bill Cosby continues to see projects and appearances cancelled in the wake of an exploding series of historical sex assault allegations, the embattled comedian will find refuge in at least one Canadian city.

Organizers in Kitchener, Ont., announced on Monday that, despite concerns from the public, an event that will bring Cosby to the city’s Centre in the Square on January 7 is expected to proceed as planned.

Two other Canadian tour dates – January 8 in London, Ont., and January 9 in Hamilton – are also currently scheduled to proceed.

Decades-old allegations of rape have recently resurfaced against Cosby in the wake, some have noted, of the Canadian sex scandal that saw radio personality Jian Ghomeshi fired from CBC and removed from various hosting duties and associations.

Since those allegations were revived, however, more than a dozen women have come forward accusing the 77-year-old star of rape and sexual assault.

The scandal has led to enough of a backlash to cripple Cosby’s ongoing comeback attempt, though not end it entirely. Earlier this week, Cosby performed in front of a sold-out audience in Melbourne, Florida. He was greeted with a standing ovation.

The Florida appearance was part of an ongoing concert series that runs into May, and will see Cosby visit Ontario for a three-date set.

More than 30 appearances are currently scheduled as part of the series, primarily across America. Several of those appearances have already been cancelled.

The BBC reports that Cosby’s Nov. 29 appearance in Washington State and his Jan. 31 appearance at a Connecticut casino are the most recently cancelled dates. A Las Vegas appearance on the books for this Friday had previously been scrubbed.

But it appears that Cosby’s Canadian shows will go on.

In a blog post, Centre in the Square organizers said they would not block the Kitchener Cosby show from proceeding. The post said that breaking the contract for the show would result in financial penalties they couldn’t ignore.

"The Centre takes very seriously the concerns raised by patrons and the local community. This is a rental show and CITS is contractually obligated to move forward with the show unless it is cancelled by the external promoter," reads the post from Mariam Ahmad, the venue’s marketing and communications coordinator.

"Our response is not complacent or an attempt to pass on the blame. This is an honest response to a complicated situation. Commercial rental shows at The Centre are crucial for the venue to earn sufficient funds to operate."

Yahoo Canada News reached out to organizers in London and Hamilton about whether they too had considered cancelling their shows. Neither group has yet responded to requests for clarification at time of publication.

In regards to the Hamilton appearance, Core Entertainment notes online that Cosby’s “successes span five decades and virtually all media – remarkable accomplishments for a kid who emerged from humble beginnings in a Philly project.”

Cosby has recently seen Netflix scrub plans to broadcast a comedy special, NBC shelve plans to produce a new Cosby sitcom and cable station TV Land pull old episodes of the 1980s hit The Cosby Show. Various other appearances, including those on late-night talk shows, have also been cancelled.

Cosby has limited his response to the controversy, but released a brief statement through his lawyer last week.

"Mr. Cosby does not intend to dignify these allegations with any comment. He would like to thank all his fans for the outpouring of support and assure them that, at age 77, he is doing his best work," the statement read.

That work, it seems, will be available in three Canadian cities early next year. At the end of the day, people still have the option of not attending the shows. But they will go on. Cosby is a big name, and his appearances don’t come cheap. Money still talks, even if it’s drowned out slightly by a chorus of accusations.