GLENDALE (CBSLA) — What was supposed to be day of music and celebration turned frightening at the historic Alex Theater in Glendale Saturday, when a performance by the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus was cut short due to a bomb scare. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Dept. and the L.A. County Sheriff responded to a report of a bomb inside the theater, forcing the packed house at the showcase of The Pink Carpet: LGBTQ & The Silver Screen to evacuate the building Saturday afternoon. “Someone very calmly came onstage as they were lowering the curtain and told us that we had to evacuate,” choir member Andrew Ganesh told CBS2 News. The reaction was a mix of calm and confusion. “They started making the announcement about everyone needed to leave the theater, and we kind of looked at each other like, ‘What? What does this mean?’” chuckled attendee Tina Walsh. About 1,000 people were in the audience at the time of the evacuation. “Luckily, we had a plan and place of where to meet up and everything, so that came in really handy,” said Ganesh. After several hours of searching, including with K-9 units, officers came up empty-handed. Though there are no indications yet the threat was a part of a hate crime, the chorus’s executive director asked people to be realistic. “I hope it wasn’t a hate crime, but let’s not be naive,” said Jonathan Weedman. “Let’s not kid ourselves; we’re an LGBT organization, and I hope that is not the case, but I would not be surprised.” But as they say in show business, “The show must go on,” and it did. The performance resumed later in the evening with extra security on hand. “I can’t let fear overcome me, because otherwise, they win,” said one audience member. A second show is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday.

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‘I Hope It Wasn’t A Hate Crime’: Bomb Scare Shuts Down LA Gay Men’s Chorus Performance At Historic Theater