SCRAPBOOK
A Look Back:
Pegasus Lounge By Mark Pomocki Photo by Scott Noxon
The Pegasus Lounge on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh has a long and storied history. According to Ancient Greek Mythology, the Pegasus was born from the blood spilled by Medusa, the most beautiful of the three sisters, who would live a life full of struggles and pain, and in death would ascend to heaven. The history of the site of Pegasus Lounge would suggest that this location shares a familiar history with that mythology by reflecting its own diverse affinity toward enlightenment, exploration of the arts, dance and music. Mention Pegasus Lounge and fond memories to many in the LGBT community spill forth who experienced the heartbeat of excitement that awaited them after descending down the stairs to the basement club. Take a moment to picture it and allow yourself to rekindle, just for a moment, your fondest memories of the sights, sounds, laughter, spirit, and friendships that leaped forth between its walls. Those same feelings were felt by a diverse group of Pittsburgher’s on that site for over 100 years. 8 6
E q u a l M a g a z i n e. o rg
Its history can be traced back to Monday, April 7, 1913, when folks took a street car downtown for 5 cents which left them off at the corner of 9th and Liberty. It was the grand opening of the Liberty Theater and a large crowd had formed for the newest theater that will double as a venue for vaudeville and later in the evening as a moving pictures playhouse. From the outside the theater appeared small, but when you entered the lobby the word cozy seemed to describe it better. The lobby was walled with a variety of quaint, brown terra cottas and the doors were a pale green wood. The theater sat about 1,400 and was decorated in an eloquent light yellow offset by green curtains. According to the April 8 edition of the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, the excellent bill of vaudeville performers included such acts as Emil Hoch & Company in “Love’s Young Dream,” horizontal bar experts the Orloff Brothers, monologist Glenn Ellison, instrumentalists Luce & Luce, comic Sadie
Sherman, Sherman & McNaughton in a comedy skit, and the acrobatic delights of Three Bounding Gordon’s. Later in the day, moving pictures were also shown and tickets that day for general admission were 25¢ and 50¢. In the early 20s, the Liberty expanded and added a cafeteria for hungry Pittsburghers who could get a quick bite to eat. During this time, the theater would face several challenges: the Great Depression, the new, larger Stanley Theater (now the Benedum) and the Penn Theater (now Heinz Hall). The challenge was just too great and in 1929 the location was converted into offices and stores. The original interior and exterior of the Liberty Theater would be altered as a result. In 1934, entertainment would return to the Liberty Theater building, now called the Baum Building, with the opening of the first night club operated by Joe Hiller called “The Music Box.” Dora Maughan, a night club and vaudeville star from London, headlined the