By Anna Bechtel –
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – Despite the rain, Connecticut residents showed up in full force to celebrate Middletown Pride on Saturday, June 7. The festivities didn’t stop when the sun went down, the Chez Est in Hartford kept the party going with the official after party, headlined by RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars icon Bosco. The lineup also featured standout performances from Mx. Chex Est 2025 Harmony The Valkyrie, as well as Amaris The Valkyrie, Lotus, and Kiki Lucia. VIP guests enjoyed an exclusive meet-and-greet with Bosco ahead of the show, making it a night to remember.
For the first show, Lotus opened the night with a sultry burlesque number set to Richard Carter’s “Le Monde” and Caravan Palace’s “Lone Digger.” Harmony The Valkyrie followed, dazzling the audience in an all-yellow ensemble with a medley of Teyana Taylor songs. Third up was Amaris, officially debuting as Amaris The Valkyrie after being taken under the wing of her drag mother, Harmony the Valkyrie. She captivated the crowd with “Canção do Mar” by Dulce Pontes and “Butterfly” by Marina. Kiki Lucia followed with an energetic medley that included Kylie Minogue’s “Padam Padam.” And finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for, Bosco closed out the first set with a show-stopping performance.
For her first number, Bosco performed “Eaten Alive” by Diana Ross, slinking across the stage in a striking leopard-print jumpsuit. The crowd went wild, especially when she grabbed an audience member’s phone, recording an impromptu performance cameo. That lucky fan now has a cherished memory captured forever. Bosco’s charisma and connection with the crowd set the tone for an unforgettable night.
Bosco (6/7/25) from CT Drag Fans on Vimeo. Watch the full performance by Bosco at Chez Est in Hartford, CT on June 7, 2025. Video by Nick Dionne.
After her performance, Bosco grabbed the mic and leaned into her trademark sense of humor. “Oh my god, you’re so loud, I love it,” she told the cheering audience. She followed with a hilarious bit ranking the different types of RuPaul’s Drag Race fans, proudly placing lesbians at the top. Bosco explained how fans love to rank their favorite queens, so she decided to turn the tables and rank the fans themselves. Starting from the bottom, she joked that the lowest tier belonged to “twinks who think they’re drag queens,” followed by “chasers who are Uber drivers.” Next up were “gay people who have jobs,” then “they/them transsexuals,” and just above them, “chasers who are not Uber drivers.” Finally, she crowned lesbians as the top-tier fans, crediting them for all their contributions to any show’s success.
After a brief intermission, Amaris The Valkyrie kicked off the second set with a medley of songs from Lady Gaga’s Mayhem album. Lotus followed with a haunting performance set to “Cape God Theme” by Allie X and PJ Harvey’s “Down by the Water.” Kiki Lucia was next, delivering one of her signature comedic numbers featuring Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda.” Harmony The Valkyrie closed out the lineup in a pink ensemble, performing a mashup of “On the Radio” by Donna Summer and “Radio” by Girlicious.
For her final performance, Bosco returned to the Chez Est stage delivering a sultry showcase of her signature burlesque skills. Set to Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” she wore a sheer red outfit, teasingly removing pieces as the number progressed. She capped off the routine with a series of impressive chair stunts, including a moment of balance on its back that left the audience gasping. Once again, the crowd erupted in applause as she grabbed the mic for one last moment with her fans.
Bosco (6/7/25) from CT Drag Fans on Vimeo. Watch the full performance by Bosco at Chez Est in Hartford, CT on June 7, 2025. Video by Nick Dionne.
“How are we fucking feeling tonight?” Bosco asked the excited crowd. “I just want to let you all know, out of all the opportunities in my career so far, this is by far the most recent, and I just want to thank all of you so much for that.” Before leaving the stage, Bosco addressed the current political climate with her trademark humor. “Things are really, really scary. Things are really tense for my trans brothers and sisters, and I just want to share with you something that gives me a lot of strength, and that is… that I have merchandise available to purchase on my website!” The audience erupted in laughter.
Bosco first appeared on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she quickly emerged as a fan favorite. She became the first queen of the season to win three main challenges, and also the first to win three mini-challenges. Bosco made headlines for coming out as transgender during an episode, and later received the coveted “Golden Chocolate Bar,” which granted her a second chance in the competition. She advanced to the final five, ultimately tying for third, fourth, and fifth place alongside Angeria Paris VanMicheals and Daya Betty. Bosco is currently competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 10 as a member of the orange bracket. So far, she has won two challenges and earned enough points to advance to the semifinals.
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