By Kevin Ferrisi –
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – After spending the day at the 6th annual Middletown PrideFEST in Middletown, drag fans reunited for a Pride after-party at the Chez Est in Hartford featuring drag royalty, Morgan McMichaels from RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 2 and special guest, Connecticut’s own Amethyst from season 15.
Chez Est in Hartford proudly stands as the epicenter of Connecticut drag, boasting a rich history of hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race stars. Let’s also not forget three of Connecticut’s drag sensations who made it as contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15: Amethyst, Loosey LaDuca, and Robin Fierce who navigated their drag career from the Chez Est stage and proudly call Chez Est their home. To begin the evening, John and Luis Pepe, owners of the Chez Est, introduced Morgan to the crowd, initiating the start to a meet-and-greet with the season 2 contestant. Fans lined up, awaiting their moment to snap a photo with Morgan to commemorate the start of what was to be a fabulous night.
Local drag performers Kiki Lucia and Crystal Starz as well as hometown Drag Race alum Amethyst, each took to the stage to fire up the wall-to-wall crowd as everyone anticipated Morgan McMichaels’ own performances to follow. Each talented entertainer performed a lip-sync and dance number to a musical mix building up the energy in the room that led to each of Morgan’s two sets.
Morgan McMichaels satisfied the crowd’s inner Swiftie as she hit the stage dressed as Taylor Swift, performing a lip-sync number to the artist’s song “You Need to Calm Down.” It was the perfect anthem for the Pride after-party on this inarguable day of Pride Month. Seamlessly mashed with Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” Morgan embodied the essence of the pop star, leaving the crowd cheering for more. She even pulled an audience member from the crowd onto the stage, allowing the excited drag fan to live out his Taylor Swift fantasy, lip-syncing and dancing right alongside Morgan McMichaels.
Following her first number, she took a moment to address the audience, “I’m so grateful to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Happy fucking Pride.” The crowd erupted into cheers of celebration. “I think it’s time for Drag Race to have some more Connecticut bitches on,” she added, a sentiment that the army of drag fans strongly agreed with.
Morgan McMichaels is a drag performer and one of the contestants on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Morgan later returned to compete on season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. She originally placed 10th, before being brought back by BenDeLaCreme. She finished the competition in 5th place. Morgan returned as a Lip-Sync Assassin for season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. Morgan was also a professor on RuPaul’s Drag U and made an appearance in the season premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8, helping RuPaul pick a contestant by random and paying homage to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert before the main challenge.
As part of the close of the night, Morgan McMichaels returned to the Chez Est stage, transforming into the punk artist known as P!nk, lip-syncing to “Just Like A Pill” with a mashup of “Raise Your Glass.” She engaged the audience like never before, serving up splits and backflips with incredible energy. The performance reached an epic peak when she pulled local drag artist and Chez Legends season 11 winner, Judah, onto the stage, creating an iconic moment that left the crowd roaring with excitement. Together, they delivered a memory that was both fierce and unforgettable.
With her charm reflecting the vibrant energy that filled the room, Morgan McMichaels ended her set with a shot and a toast with the excited crowd before she had to run to catch a plane for her next gig in the morning. The hustle of a true diva and legend. As the cheers and applause echoed in her ears, she downed the shot with a wink and a smile, soaking in the adoration one last time before disappearing backstage.
