Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Contacts:
Diana Roth | Senior Communications Manager | Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
roth@trustarts.org | 412-471-8717
Derek Scalzott | Senior Director Strategic Communications & Special Advisor to President| Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
scalzott@trustarts.org | 412-471-8715
Media Assets: HERE.
https://trustarts.canto.com/b/OUJI3
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents
Announces
LADIES OF LAUGHTER Brings Their Funniest Women to
Pittsburgh’s O'Reilly Theater | Saturday, May 16, 2026
-National Tour Serves as Major Comedy Career Builder for Funny Women-
Pittsburgh, PA (Updated 4/30/2026)—The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces Ladies of Laughter Funny & Fabulous tour makes a stop at the O’Reilly Theater, 655 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 with some of the funniest women in comedy today on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. This event is part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Dentons Cohen & Grigsby Trust Presents Series. Tickets are on sale now!
For tickets and information, visit Pittsburgh Cultural Trust official ticket sources: TrustArts.org, in person at Theater Square Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue, or call 412-456-6666. The Byham Theater is a venue and project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
First established as a national contest in the nineties, Ladies of Laughter has helped launch the comedy careers of countless women in comedy through its national competition and tour. Past participants include Amy Schumer, Melissa Rauch (“Big Bang Theory), Michelle Buteau, Jessica Kirson, Tammy Pescatelli and Zarna Garg, among others.
The May 16th performers include Ladies of Laughter national winner and creator of One Funny Mother, Dena Blizzard. Known for her viral videos (over 200 million views), Dena is a sought-after keynote speaker, comedian and corporate host. She has hosted Miss America, spoken at the United Nations, co-hosted with Anderson Cooper, served as Grand Marshal of Chardonnay Day in France and tours nationally with her I love You, Get Away from Me Tour.
Joining Dena is former tenured law professor, Liz Glazer. Liz is a 2021 Ladies of Laughter national contest winner and recently made her late-night television debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Liz recently released a new comedy special, Do You Know Who I’m Not? and has opened for Maria Bamford, Judy Gold and Myq Kaplan.
Leighann Lord, a New York-based comedian, writer and actress joins the cast and has appearances on Showtime, ABC-TV’s The View and is a former co-host (with Neil deGrasse Tyson) of the Star Talk Radio podcast. She has performed all over the world entertaining the troops and at home audiences in all 50 states and was an early winner of the competition.
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and raised in Pittsburgh, recent Ladies of Laughter contestant, Helen Wildy, rounds out the show. Named “Best Of” in comedy in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Raleigh, Helen’s first comedy album “Bomb Threat” can be heard on Sirius XM. Helen completed 3 tours with Armed Forces Entertainment to entertain the troops abroad and is a favorite at clubs nationwide.
Ladies of Laughter has a long and storied history in creating opportunities and recognizing women in comedy. In 2018, Carol Burnett accepted the first ever “Spirit Award.” The award was established by LOL Founder and Executive Producer, Peggy Boyce, to honor those who have inspired women to enter the competitive field of comedy and was chosen by contestants’ votes. Additional “Spirit Award” winners include Michelle Buteau and Jessica Kirson.
In 2023, the Ladies of Laughter released Ladies of Laughter from the Friars Club, the first all-women comedy recording from the 100+year old show business institution that only started allowing women members into their doors in 1988. It is played regularly on SIRIUS XM and is available on iTunes.
For more information on Ladies of Laughter, visit, ladiesoflaughter.org
###
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is one of the nation’s premier arts presenters and a major catalytic influence in Pittsburgh, having overseen one of the city’s most historic transformations: turning a seedy red-light district into a magnet destination for arts-lovers, residents, visitors, and business owners. Founded in 1984, the Cultural Trust presents an array of quality performing and visual arts, provides comprehensive educational experiences, and stewards Pittsburgh’s Cultural District as a national model of economic revitalization through the arts. Lauded as “the single greatest creative force in Pittsburgh,” the Cultural Trust has worked to make Pittsburgh a place where the arts can flourish. The 14-block Cultural District, a project of the Cultural Trust, has become a vibrant center for culture, art, food, and community in downtown Pittsburgh, providing a home for a broad range of performance groups and resident companies. More than one million people visit the Cultural District each year, generating more than $300M in economic impact for the region.
TrustArts.org | @CulturalTrust on Facebook · Instagram · TikTok