The Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut is an amazing student cultural center that provides a host of crucial resources and a variety of events for the LGBTQIA+ community on campus. This past weekend I was thrilled to attend their most anticipated event of the semester, the 2024 annual Drag Show, that took place at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on March 2, 2024.
If you want an inside look into what goes into preparing for the Drag Show as a student performer, check out the other article on my profile featuring Alexxxa W.F. Starlight and SMR Couture!
This year broke several records for the show, including its debut in Jorgensen, complete with cabaret-style seating, and people filled into all sections of the theater cheering with joy and dollar bills to spare. It was the highest-attended drag show in Rainbow Center history and marked a special milestone of 25 years since the RC’s establishment at UConn.
It was a truly special night, but in case you missed it here’s a rundown of every performance and where to find and support these drag performers.
MC and Headliner: Throb zombie
For the first time in the show’s history, a drag king headlined the event! Throb Zombie, a star of reality TV series The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, brought forth horny-horror-camp-theatrics in a way I’ve never seen done before. This extremely charming drag king was an engaging and hilarious MC who excelled in crowdwork. I was both terrified and comforted many times, and ultimately mesmerized by this king’s opening and closing performances. He is currently based in Boston and can be followed on Instagram @throb.zombie for more creepy content.
Cara Ho
A former UConn student who made her debut at the 2019 Drag Show, this reigning queen was back to serve body, looks, and laughs on the Jorgensen stage. In a gorgeous all-pink ensemble, Cara showed off her dancing to the fitting track, “Once Upon a Time I Was a Hoe,” and delivered a lip sync battle worthy performance to a hilarious monologue about prostitutes and resume building. She is currently based in Hartford, CT, and can be found on Instagram @misscaraho.
SMR Couture
A current UConn senior and first-time drag queen, SMR wowed the crowd with her stunning golden ensemble and dance moves to a self-mixed track including Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, and Princess Superstar. The natural performer entered the stage wearing a handmade glittering covering and blonde afro with a halo that exuded the aesthetic of Beyoncé’s 2017 Grammy’s performance. The queen later had the crowd screaming when she revealed an entirely new outfit underneath, complete with a wig reveal to show off her braids laced with gold string. Follow her on Instagram @summergaspardd to see more of her fabulous fashion and makeup looks.
KConn
This mesmerizing three-part performance was performed by UConn’s K-Pop dance group. The energy was astounding and the outfit themes were gorgeous. I didn’t know that they were performing at the Drag Show and was absolutely thrilled to see them there! This made me super excited for the upcoming annual Asian Nite ’24 that will take place at Jorgensen on March 23, 2024, which includes a wide variety of modern and traditional Asian dance/fusion performances. Tickets are on sale now and you can buy them at this link. Also to support KConn, follow them on Instagram at @uconnkconn and @uconnseoular.
Kiki Lucia
This Connecticut-based legendary drag queen brought a performance that I’ll never forget. In addition to serving a fierce look on stage inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the accompanying video element playing on the screens during her performance brought me to tears. In a montage of photos and videos of powerful feminists throughout history, Kiki sang along to “Woman’s World” by Cher, both empowering the audience and bringing attention to drag’s innately political nature. I loved how this performance showcased not only famous people but also the women in her own life who have made her who she is today. You can follow her on Instagram @misskikilucia.
Alexxxa W.F. Starlight
This amazing performer is also a current UConn senior and a first-time drag queen! Alexxxa opened her performance dancing along to “IT GIRL” by Aaliyah’s Interlude ft. Veondre, which features an incredibly fun verse celebrating trans women that had the audience cheering like crazy. Along with her self-made track mix, she also had an accompanying self-made visualizer that brought even another layer of energy to the show. Dressed like a true punk princess, she very fittingly danced along to several Avril Lavigne songs that had nostalgia and my desire to wear smudged black eyeliner going through the roof. You can follow her on Instagram @alexammudell to see her awesome fashion, makeup, and photography.
Xio Marie Labeija
First of all, a round of applause for the background dancers. Second of all, WOW. I was gagged, jaw on the floor, gobsmacked at this entire performance! This local CT legend blessed us with her presence in a fabulous body suit dripping in diamonds all while doing death drops and somersaults that had people literally going crazy. Just when I thought she was done and shifted my attention to her dancers voguing throughout the audience, BOOM, she’s doing a headstand on stage. Oh, and just before exiting, in case you missed it, she hit us with another incredible death drop. You can follow the icon on Instagram @xiomarie.xl.
Michele Phoenix
This stunning drag queen with legs for days delivered a fantastic, erotic performance that had people going wild for this returning UConn student performer. Starting off with a red fur-lined coat and stilettos, she later revealed a tiny red lingerie set that had people literally running out of their seats to tip her. “Gag On It” by Kim Petras was the theme song for this sultry act that had people grooving in their seats and begging for more as she made her way around the front of the audience, sticking her hard earned cash into her lingerie. You can follow this beauty on Instagram @onlymichelephoenix.
The importance of the Rainbow center
The Rainbow Center at UConn cannot be overstated for its value to LGBTQIA+ students on campus. Their mission statement from their website reads:
“The Rainbow Center’s mission is to operate in the service of a more equitable world for all students, faculty, and staff at the University of Connecticut. Using an intersectional lens, we center our work on advocating for, and increasing education, access, retention, identity development, and community-building for queer- and trans-spectrum communities.”
Not only do they host joyous events such as the Drag Show that are celebratory and safe spaces for Queer and Trans students, they also offer essential services such as free and anonymous HIV/HepC Testing. The next upcoming date for this is March 13, 2024, from 10 am-1 pm and March 22, 2024, from 4:30-8:30 pm in SU 403.
Additionally, SMR Couture directed me to this incredible resource called FAMILEE Mentoring Program where she works as a coordinator. Student mentors work to support first-year or second-year students with their transition to UConn through resource sharing, one-on-ones, and large group events. They have a document of resources that goes out in a newsletter about every week for mentees, which can be found at this link.
I highly recommend checking out their website for an in depth look at all they have to offer.
Well, this was a blast. I cannot wait to attend next year’s show. Until then, I’ll be supporting all of these performers on social media while trying to recreate the magic I felt this weekend. Stay safe, and watch some drag!