Sam Rise (they/them) is a black, gender-expansive performer, teaching artist, activist, human-amplifier, and the LOUDEST youth services librarian in the known universe. Sam’s passion for music and community are the heart of their work, feeding spaces that are inquiry-driven, participant led, and abundant in joy! In addition to their work as a songwriter, arranger and performer, Rise aspires to facilitate creative direct action with community organizers and leaders shaping change from the socio-political margins. They are dedicated to social justice interventions that embrace the challenge and the opportunity of reimagining our world.

Lili St. Queer (she/they) is a drag queen, musician, cabaret & theatre artist, comedian, educator, and DJ. They were a contestant on OutTV's drag competition Camp Wannakiki, Season 4, and they are a co-founder of Jaffe St. Queer Productions, which produced a series of Broadway parodies including "Gay Miz" and "The Lizard of Oz" produced by The Painted Bride, the original musical "Eric & Lili's Night at the Museum" in partnership with the Penn Museum, and a musical tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show with Theatre Horizon. Their cabaret duo Glitter & Garbage won Philly Magazine's Best Cabaret Act 2019, and Lili is the prettiest cast member in their recurring one-woman show "Cabaret Sauvignon."

LaTasha “Elle.” Morris (she/her) is a Philly-based vocalist, vocal producer, arranger, and performer.  She is also a member of  ILL DOOTS. Classically trained, Elle's musical stylings range from performing backgrounds for world renowned artists like Carol Riddick, and Laurin Talese, to vocal production for Khemist, Antoniette Costa, and many others! When not on stage or the studio, Elle. is music directing theatre productions all over the East Coast and beyond with skill, care and experimental flare. Big love and thanks to her family, community, and ancestors. And a boisterous shout out to everyone at The Bearded Ladies, the cast, and crew of “Check It Out!”

US (they/them) (she/they) is an emcee and original member of the band ILL DOOTS, seen on theater stages throughout the Philly area and in music venues across the country. Their song "Heartbeat" was the recipient of the 2021 Lennon Award for R&B, and is featured on their double album “The Mess/Age”; streaming everywhere. Follow @ILLDOOTS on all socials. Also known as Anthony Martinez-Briggs (they/them), they have a crush on fashionable sneakers, well-cultivated herbs, and science fiction novels written by black femme authors. They are a Wilma HotHouse company member as well as a Bearded Ladies Associate Artist. They are also the recipient of the 2023 F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Artist. They wear many hats including but not limited to writing, teaching, facilitating, music making, and overall theater artist-type things. Most importantly, the LOVE received from the many communities that have welcomed them has remained a constant source of inspiration and gratitude. It is their mission to pay that love forward and continue to fight alongside the marginalized and underrepresented for the integrity of life that we all deserve.

Jordan McCree (they/he) is a percussionist, producer, composer, sound designer, and teaching artist in Philadelphia. His most recents works and collaborations include: Empathitrax (Philadelphia Theatre Company), TOWN (Theatre Horizon), This Is The Week That Is (1812 Productions), Backing Track (Arden Theatre Company), Citizen (New Light Theatre), Peril’s Island (Shakespeare In Clark Park), Fat Ham (The Wilma Theater), My General Tubman (Arden Theatre Company). Recently, he has become one of the grant recipients to the 1/52 Project. He is also a member of Philly-based, Barrymore Award winning, hip hop collective, ILL DOOTS. Their music is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more! #ILLMOVEMENT | ILLDOOTS.COM

Dorie Byrne [she/her] is a Philadelphia-based folk musician and accordion technician. She plays and sings Greek and Turkish music with The Carryons, polka with Polkadelphia, klezmer with Dan Blacksberg, and Balkan, French and Russian tunes with her accordionist husband Stas Culcicovschi. She is so excited to join The Bearded Ladies on their library tour!

ILL DOOTS has always and will forever be a body of change. Since their inception at University of the Arts in 2009, this musical collective of individuals has each brought their own lifetime of artistic influences and experiences into the fold to contribute to the group’s timeless and genre-defying music. Hailing from all over the United States but unified under the undeniable grit and soul of Philadelphia, the band currently consists of four members; US, Elle.Morris, Scott Ziegler, and Jordan McCree, with frequent collaborations from Simon Martinez and Andrew Nittoli. From energy shifting live performances to commissioned theatre works and educational workshops, 3 studio albums and countless mixtapes, plus six national tours to date -- to deny ILL DOOTS’ output, social justice advocacy, and relevance to the culture would truly be a disservice to the community that helped make it possible. Every member strives to be a pillar in their community, especially in their work as teaching artists embodying the acronym behind the whole brand: ILL- I Love Living & I Love Learning. Their passion will spread this message throughout the cosmos as they continue to transmute experiences of curiosity and learning into the art.

John Jarboe (she/her) is a director, singer, writer, and host serving you herstory, queer community making, and a whole lot of glitter. She is the founding artistic director of The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, transforming opera, cabaret, and live performance, creating work that will make you sing, dance, and question. She has written, performed, and directed original work for La Mama ETC, Joe’s Pub, Opera Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Wilma Theater, Lincoln Center and most recently an original commission called Rose You Are Who You Eat for The Guggenheim’s Works & Process series.

MK Tuomanen (they/them) is a performance artist and playwright dubbed Best Theatre Artist by Philly Mag in 2015, and granted the Haas Emerging Artist Award in 2017. An amateur drummer and professional troublemaker, they sing kweerpunk poetry to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. They are a proud Associated Artist with the Bearded Ladies and a member of Applied Mechanics (www.AppliedMechanics.us). 

Lian Laventhol Brody (they/xe/xem/xyrs) is excited to be back on the Beardmobile this summer. Xe has done stage management work for Theatre Exile, The Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Tiny Dynamite, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Temple University Theaters, and Philadelphia Theatre Company’s now-disbanded ActOut Summer Camp program where xe got xyr start in theatre working on devised projects with Philadelphia teens in 2013. Lian is interested in new plays, devised work, queer theatre, theatre of protest, and drag artistry. Thanks to Mayu, Grayson, and Mom for their endless love and support!

Sunflower B Rose (she/her/ze/zir/he/him) is grateful to be a Philadelphia based Theater Maker, Filmmaker, Painter,Teaching Artist, and much more. Sunflower is on a mission to create opportunities for love and education to thrive through creativity and does so primarily through his creative work. In his work, Suni plays with rhythm, tension, and lots of joy to create community around lasting experiences. Through her production company, OMG! Studios LLC, Suni has produced and featured work in Fade to Black: Issa a Black Philly Film Fest, Sheesh: Issa Blackity Black Joyfest, Open House @ The Palace, and TV GUIDE. Suni serves as a member of the Philadelphia Comedy Sportz Team, works as an Education Coordinator at Theatre Horizon, and grows through zir role as Artistic Director at OMG! Studios.