Michael Rapaport. Photo: YouTube screenshot

A comedy show by Jewish American actor and comedian Michael Rapaport scheduled for Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama, was abruptly canceled by organizers because of protests and security concerns regarding his support for Israel.

Rapaport, 55, was scheduled to perform at Stardome Comedy Club as part of his comedy tour running through January 2026, according to his website. He has been very outspoken about the Israel-Hamas war, condemning the Palestinian terrorist organization and calling for the return of the hostages abducted from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Bruce Ayers, the owner of the Stardome Comedy Club, said on Wednesday in a released statement on Facebook that the venue booked Rapaport’s event as a comedy show and not a political event.

“We have a long history of hosting a wide variety of entertainers, and our intention was only to give fans a chance to enjoy a night of live comedy,” Ayers said. He added that in days leading up to the show, the club received “over 100 messages on social media,” calling for a cancellation of the show and warning organizers about planned protests at the venue. In response, organizers decided to cancel the show.

“Out of concern for the safety and experience of guests, staff, and the performer, the club decided – in agreement with Michael’s management team – to cancel the event,” Stardome said in a statement. Ayers said the cancellation was not about “silencing anyone,” but was done in an effort to avoid “a potentially volatile situation” and keep “things safe and peaceful for everyone involved.”

“The Stardome has offered high-quality entertainment across a full spectrum of political, religious, ideological, and comedic tastes for over 40 years,” he said. “We remain committed to keeping that promise in a respectful and safe environment for all guests.” Full refunds were being issued to ticket holders.

Rapaport said Tuesday night’s show was canceled hours before it was set to begin and that he was not involved in the decision to call off the event. He announced the show in a Facebook post on July 23. The actor was filming a movie in Birmingham and wanted to perform a comedy show on his time off.

On Tuesday, he wrote in a social media post that the show was canceled without his support.

“I did not cancel. I would never cancel – especially since I’m already here in Birmingham, ready to perform,” he said. “It was shut down because of protests and threats over my support for Israel and for speaking up about the 50 hostages still being held in Gaza. 670 days in captivity – and people are protesting me for demanding their release? It’s embarrassing. It’s sad. But I’m not ashamed. I stand by what I say and who I stand with.”

In the same post, Rapaport shared a picture of himself wearing tefillin while posing with two members of the local Chabad.

“Fortunately, I got to meet some incredible people from Chabad of Alabama today and had the blessing of wrapping tefillin – a ginormous mitzvah and a reminder of what really matters,” he wrote. “Am Yisrael Chai (long live Israel).”

One of Rapaport’s previous comedy shows in Michigan was also canceled because of his political views, he said in an October 2024 interview with Vlad TV. He said the Michigan show was called off because “people were threatening the club, threatening the staff, threatening, you know, to cause trouble.”

“And the club did everything they possibly could,” he explained. “They couldn’t get guaranteed police protection for the club, for the staff, for myself, so they had to cancel it. And then I had another show in Chicago canceled for the same reason, but that one has been rescheduled.”

“The reason why it was so disappointing and frustrating and upsetting was because I’ve been so outspoken,” Rapaport added. “And there’s been a lot of people that have been on the fence not to say anything or ‘Don’t say too much’ or ‘Don’t shake the boat’ or ‘Don’t articulate how you feel,’ Jews and non-Jews.”

Rapaport’s credits include Hulu’s “Life & Beth,” “Friends,” “My Name is Earl” and the Netflix series “Atypical.” He is the host of the “I Am Rapaport Stereo Podcast” and “Rapaport’s Reality,” which he co-hosts with his wife.