The audience cheered when Ms. Solomon read aloud the note. Still, Ms. Solomon said she had thought until that moment that things were going swimmingly. She said she was “appalled” to have their conversation publicly criticized by the Y and found deserving of a refund.

“The Y never told me what they wanted,” Ms. Solomon said Wednesday in an interview. She said that Mr. Martin, a longtime friend, had asked her to conduct the interview, and that she determined that a conversation focused on the art world and his book (published by Grand Central Publishing on Nov. 23) seemed most timely and interesting. Mr. Martin is an avid art collector, and Ms. Solomon has written art criticism. But after their talk was interrupted, she said, she asked for questions from the audience.

“I was joking,” she said. “I said, ‘Steve, we blew it.’ ” Mr. Martin went on to answer “six or seven” written questions from the audience about his film and television career before ending the one-hour talk at 9 p.m.

“Frankly, you would think that an audience in New York, at the 92nd Street Y, would be interested in hearing about art and artists,” Ms. Solomon added in an e-mail. “I had no idea that the Y programmers wanted me to talk to Steve instead on what it’s like to host the Oscars or appear in ‘It’s Complicated’ with Alec Baldwin. I think the Y, which is supposedly a champion of the arts, has behaved very crassly and is reinforcing the most philistine aspects of a culture that values celebrity and award shows over art.”

Beverly Greenfield, director of public and media relations at the 92nd Street Y, said in an e-mail that “the evening with Martin and Solomon just didn’t gel.”

“We heard from our audience members, who were vocal about their admiration for Steve Martin and their displeasure with the program, at the event, and afterward by e-mail and by phone,” Ms. Greenfield’s e-mail continued. “On occasion, when a program clearly has not met our or our patrons’ expectations, we have offered patrons a credit.”

Mr. Martin said he was taken aback by the Y’s response, describing it as “discourteous” and adding, “It seemed to me that a consultation was at least in order.

“As for the Y’s standard of excellence, it can’t be that high because this is the second time I’ve appeared there.”