The Origins of the Christmas Tree and Pittsburgh’s Flaming Tree Festival of the Magi

Christmas trees

Google “history of the Christmas tree” and you’ll find everything from little snips about Queen Victoria to pagan/indigenous culture appropriation to lots of photos of the evolution of American tree decor. It is a fun and interesting way to explore culture. My favorite bit is the ongoing battle between Estonia and Latvia. I came across […]

Holiday Pops are Beloved Pittsburgh Seasonal Institution

Every year, my wife and our friend Sarah look forward to the Holiday Pops performances at Heinz Hall. They just love it so much. I can’t wait until times are better and I can return to see Heinz Hall decorated for the holidays. There are four remaining holiday pops performances this weekend with tickets starting […]

Review: The Donna Summer Musical Brings Nostalgia, Joy, and Empowering Music to The Benedum

Donna Summer Musical Review

Go see the show—if you’re like me, it will leave you nostalgic, teary-eyed and joyous all at one. On Tuesday night, November 16, 2021, my friend, Sara P and I went to see “Summer, The Donna Summer Musical.” It was the first time that I had been to a musical, and the Benedum, since March […]

The End of the Road for the Cat Car

Honda CRV Pittsburgh

Remember the Cat Car? It was painted to promote the AMPLIFY project, but quickly dubbed ‘The Cat Car’ – the original artists were Kai Devenitch, Sam Thorpe, and Jason Sauer. The following year, Kai and Jason updated the paint job. This 2000 Honda CRV was a beauty – a cassette deck, for example. I bought […]

What We Get Wrong About “Independence Day”

Martina McBride

Some folks whispered and some folks talked But everybody looked the other way And when time ran out there was no one about On Independence Day. Each year, I listen to Martina McBride’s song ‘Independence Day’ to honor the Fourth of July. There are some good lyrics and wordplay fusing our national independence themes with […]

Q&A with Phat Man Dee About Her Pride Month Tribute to Billy Strayhorn

Name: Phat Man DeePronouns: she / her  How do you describe your identity?Cis gender female  You are celebrating Pride Month with a tribute to Billy Strayhorn. Why? I was inspired to produce this concert because his music and life have always been such a great source of inspiration to myself and so many creative souls […]

City Theatre’s Clare Drobot Talks Live Theater During a Pandemic and the Debut of F*ck7thGrade

Jill Sobule

City Theatre has come to our rescue this winter and spring with a fantabulous new production in collaboration with Jill Sobule. In this world premiere concert film, award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Sobule – whose 1990’s hits include “Supermodel” and the original “I Kissed a Girl” – takes audiences through a Rock’n’Roll celebration of coming of age and coming out.  The show […]

The Haiku Ninja Honors 15 Years of Lesbian Blogging with an Original Haiku

In addition to the proclamations, I have had assorted local artists and creators create lovely art in honor of our 15th blogiversary. Yesterday, we posted a maze from Joe Wos and today I have this lovely haiku from my friend Staci B. It makes me heart swell to have people imbuing this milestone with so […]

Joe Wos Honors 15 Years of Lesbian Blogging With an Original Maze

Maze Toons Lesbian

  I cannot put into words how much I love this. I love that it starts with my original logo that is clearly centering two women and ends with the progressive Pride flag. I love the cat. I love the snowflake. I really love the cell phone and laptop. Joe Wos has been a long […]

Q&A with Stars of Holiday Drag Musical ‘Claws Out’ at City Theatre

For the holidays, City Theatre had to pivot on it’s heel from a live stage production to a pre-recorded show broadcast online. Fortunately, when it came to Claws Out they had plenty of heels to choose from, including stilettos and sensible pumps. A holiday drag musical, Claws Out tells the story of two divas battling for […]