For One Night On Stage, Embattled Cosby His Old Self

The protesters didn't show, the would-be hecklers didn't take the
bait, the weeks of headlines about sexual assaults disappeared and
Bill Cosby, for 90 minutes at least, regained the revered status he
long enjoyed.

The show Friday night in Melbourne, Florida, might have seemed
destined for disaster for the comedian, enveloped in growing
accusations of rape and sexual assault that have derailed his career
comeback and crumbled his tour schedule. What he got, though, was an
adoring audience that laughed so hard they slapped their knees,
shouted love at the stage and rose to their feet as he came and went.

"I think people went in there with him as Bill Cosby from the TV
show," said Travis Weberling, 40, of Melbourne, "not the guy they
heard about on the news."

The 2,000-seat theater beefed up security and announcements before
Cosby took the stage warned a disturbance was possible -- radio hosts
had even offered cash and prizes to anyone who made it happen.
Reporters swarmed the venue. But, in the end, just one protester stood
outside, holding a sign that read, "Rape is no joke."

What remained to be seen was whether the evening marked a turning
point for a beloved television father, or simply a momentary reprieve.
It did nothing to immediately change the fact that Cosby's projects
have been nixed and stalled, performances have been canceled across
the country and women continue to come forward accusing him of serious
crimes.

Cosby has never been charged in connection with any of the allegations.

"I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn't
have to answer to innuendos," Cosby told the Florida Today newspaper
before the show. "People should fact check."

Cosby's lawyer, Martin Singer, said the accusations had "escalated far
past the point of absurdity," dismissing them as "fantastical,"
"unsubstantiated" and "uncorroborated."

"When will it end?" he asked. "It is long past time for this media
vilification of Mr. Cosby to stop."

And, throughout the audience, his fans agreed.

They talked of watching him on TV as a child, and of his albums
becoming familiar friends when the moved to unfamiliar, faraway towns.
They brushed off the accusations, howling at everything he uttered.

When he took the stage at the Maxwell C. King Center For The
Performing Arts, they stood and hollered, and he returned a thumbs-up.
Only a smattering of empty seats were seen. Cosby wore cargo pants and
a shirt that said "Hello Friend" and never once ventured in the realm
of controversy. His 90-minute set wandered from a childhood fear of
God to the loss of freedom in marriage to the rocket-speed Spanish of
a piñata-store worker.

He sat for much at the start of the show, then grew increasingly
physical, impersonating jujitsu and gymnastics poses, laying on the
floor in stocking feet and thrusting a fist upward in a gesture of
battling the everyday oppression of living with a wife. And when it
was over, he said "good night," walking off as the audience again
stood.

The most impassioned of his fans breathed a sigh of relief. Judith
Stone traveled from Madison, West Virginia, for the show, deeming it
"absolutely fantastic" and grateful no one interrupted.

"I think he will leave with a very positive attitude," she said.

Elsewhere, audiences will not have the chance to see Cosby.
Performances in Oklahoma, Nevada, Illinois, Arizona, South Carolina
and Washington were called off. David Fischer, director of The
Broadway Center in Tacoma, Washington, said an April appearance was
called off because it conflicts with the organization's mission
strengthen the community "building empathy, furthering education and
sharing joy."

Projects on NBC and Netflix have been canceled, and TV Land decided
not to air reruns of "The Cosby Show." Cosby's producers said at least
28 other shows remain on his schedule through May 2015.

Tom Werner, who co-founded the Carsey-Werner Company which produced
"The Cosby Show," defended Cosby in a statement to the Boston Globe.

"The Bill we knew was a brilliant and wonderful collaborator on a show
that changed the landscape of television," Werner and partner Marcy
Carsey said in the statement. "These recent news reports are beyond
our knowledge or comprehension."

And, even in a crowd of Cosby faithful, there was some worry there was
more to come.

"This very well may be Bill Cosby's last show," said Marcus Utt, 25,
of Melbourne.
--AP