Thank you for a spectacular Philly Fringe Festival! Stay tuned for information about 2026.
Visit us at FringeArts.com for year-round programming.
It is with deep disappointment that The Bearded Ladies and FringeArts must share that the remainder of The Layaway performance series is officially canceled.
Historic buildings sometimes pose unforeseen challenges. On September 17, organizers of The Layaway were notified that the permit for performances at The Wanamaker Building has been put on hold following an inspection. Since that time, FringeArts, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, and Opera Philadelphia have worked extensively with the building’s owners and the City of Philadelphia to find a way to reopen The Layaway at the Wanamaker Building this weekend following cancellations on September 20 and 21. Unfortunately, the historic building’s sprinkler system needs attention, and it is not possible to reopen the space to the public in time for this weekend’s planned performances. We regret that we must cancel performances of The Layaway on September 27 and 28.
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The Layaway, Saturdays at 9pm
A speakeasy for hard times
Yearning for a lie-down, a light libation, and a whole lot of queer art? Welcome to the Layaway, a speakeasy for hard times. Tucked deep inside the historic Wanamaker Building, the Bearded Ladies are carving a cozy space to let your hair down. From acoustic daydreams to organ(ic) rapture to genderqueer tomfoolery, this intimate series will recharge your batteries, refill your cocktail, and maybe even nourish your world-weary soul. Meet us at The Layaway, where joy stored today becomes a little sparkle for the coming season!
The Kids Department, Sundays at 3pm
Family Programming
Join your favorite Bearded Ladies’ hosts on Sunday afternoons at the Kids Department: a performance series tailor-made for our youngest fans! Enjoy family-friendly live music, interactive performances, and endless opportunities for imagination and play. Plus, it’s the perfect time for grow
Funding for the Bearded Ladies Cabaret is provided by The Mellon Foundation, the William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Knight Foundation, the Lida Foundation, the Philadelphia Foundation, the Wyncote Foundation and Barbara Teichert.
The Layaway is made possible by the generous support of Barbara Teichert and the Wyncote Foundation
Icon Producer
The Honickman Family
Executive Producers
Arthur Kaplan + Duane Perry
Co-Producers
Marty Maynard
Rosanne Sarkissian
The Bearded Ladies Cabaret is a queer arts organization that sits on your lap and sings you a story. Whether it’s an opera, a home-made cabaret, a musical walking tour, or a show on a truck, we employ song, spectacle, storytelling, and heart to welcome audiences into moments of joy, healing, and subversion. Through sharing our original pieces and creating bespoke platforms for performance at home in Philadelphia,
nationally, and abroad, we nurture artistic connection for a community of misfits, rabble-rousers, chanteuses and the people who love and need them. Their work has been seen all over Philadelphia including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary, Opera Philadelphia, the Wilma Theater, FringeArts, and the Delaware River Waterfront and they have brought their cabaret revolution to Miami, Seattle, Paris,
Washington DC, New Zealand, Provincetown, Maryland and Delaware. In New York their work has been seen at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, La MaMa Etc, Works & Process at the Guggenheim and Lincoln Center. Their signature programs The Beardmobile and LATE NIGHT SNACKS together have provided a stage for over 500 queer and nightlife artists.
Contact the Fringe Festival Box Office for up to date accessibility information.
Audience Interaction
This event does not require masks to be worn