John Mulaney visit to UF canceled for other ‘career opportunities’

Comedian John Mulaney will not be performing at UF, Accent Speakers Bureau announced Monday. The bureau is searching for another comedian to take his place.

Accent chairwoman Shelby Buchanan said Mulaney’s agents said he had “career opportunities that were too good to pass up.” Mulaney was scheduled to perform April 19 in the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. She said no backup acts were prepared.

“We’re just as disappointed as people that we see on our Facebook page,” she said. “It’s been kind of a whirlwind.”

Mulaney was available to reschedule the show after April 26, but Buchanan said that would have conflicted with exams and the end of school.

The event, which was going to be co-sponsored by Student Government Productions and Accent Speakers Bureau, was part of Mulaney’s “Kid Gorgeous” tour, according to Alligator archives. He was supposed to be paid $85,000 for the performance, but no refund has to be made because Accent pays speakers after performances.

Zach Marshall, a UF event management sophomore, said it was unfortunate because he was excited to see Mulaney perform. But he knows from his major that planning events is all about crisis management.

“He is only human, so these things happen,” 20-year-old Marshall said. “In a situation like this, being transparent is the best thing that you can do.”

Contact Elliott Nasby at enasby@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter at @_ElohEl. 

John Mulaney