Salisbury Cathedral, yes; Ed Sullivan Theater marquee, no.

The New York Post reports that plans for Jay-Z to perform atop the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee in Midtown Manhattan have been called off, despite previous approval from the mayor’s office.

“The mayor’s office approved it, and then just like that, it got denied,” one police source told The Post. Allegedly, representatives for the involved parties were to discuss details yesterday but the meeting was “abruptly canceled,” possibly due to concerns about “fireworks and terrorism” during the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

A similar plan in the summer of 2010 was also aborted over concerns about crowd control and security, leading to a performance on the building’s roof. No word on whether the July 8 performance will continue in some other fashion. Apparently it’s easier to place your album next to the Magna Carta than it is to perform outdoors in New York. Who knew?