LA Premiere reading of new comedy “Pure Glitter” with Alec Mapa, Rory O’Malley, Barrett Foa & more is a sensation

There was a real buzz Saturday night outside the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza as a sellout crowd lined up outside the Renberg Theatre waiting for the doors to open. I was among the first in line for Celebration Theater’s LA Premiere reading of the new comedy Pure Glitter by Douglas C. Lyons and directed by Emerson Collins.

Expectations were high wth an all-star cast set to perform: Alec Mapa (Broadway’s M. Butterfly and TV’s Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, Half & Half); Barrett Foa (12 seasons on TV’s NCIS: Los Angeles, Broadway’s Avenue Q,Mamma Mia); Rory O’Malley (Broadway’s Hamilton, Tony nominee for The Book of Mormon); Sachin Bhatt (TV’s Boots, Queer as Folk reboot); Chris Renfro (TV’s Queer as Folk reboot; Tom Swift) and Adrian Javier (TV’s Vida).

The writing is strong and this is is a wonderful comedic showcase for the oh-so-talented Mapa who has expert timing, brilliantly breaks into the first line of a showtune when the character feels it’s appropriate and when the time comes, has moments of vulnerability. I’ve seen Foa on countless episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles but not on stage before and he is a force as well. His timing and confidence are first-rate and I enjoyed his performance immensely. It was also my first time (I think) seeing O’Malley on stage (I think – he may have been in Mormon one of the two times I saw it at Pantages over the years) and he is so sweet, funny and wonderfully bitchy in Pure Glitter. You are right there with his character as he experiences a range of emotions over the course of an anniversary dinner party also attended by his recent ex (Bhatt) and the ex’s new boyfriend (Renfro).

I want to see this play produced with this cast! It will be a big hit. I hope it starts in LA so I can see it then makes its way to New York for an Off-Broadway run.

Congrats to all involved!