Confetti and charisma rained down on the night of June 14 as Animo Pride 2025: PasaVOGUE illuminated the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium with the daring hues of the rainbow. Promising bolder and glitzier performances, the much-anticipated concert flaunted a glamorous mix of budding young artists and nationally revered queens. Organized by DLSU PRISM and the University Student Government Office of the President, PasaVOGUE proudly waved the flag of queer expression through artistry.
The program was hosted by Tita Baby, whose quick wit and keen observations ensured no dull moment. While setting the tone for a lighthearted and laughter-packed show, she did not shy from emphasizing the need to protect LGBTQIA+ spaces and rights beyond the stage. Event project heads, Miel Miranda (II, BSMGT) and Daniel Janda (I, BSAPC), reminded everyone that “even with the [rain] here and there, the rainbow does not stop shining.”
Eleganza extravaganza
Hailing straight from the Pink Pony Club, Bernie opened the concert with Chappell Roan’s iconic queer liberation anthem. Against the cool chorus of the audience’s song, Bernie got the auditorium HOT TO GO! with an alluring striptease; her sparkling pink robe revealing a risqué, bejeweled ensemble that incited cheers so jubilant, they would make Chappell proud.
Dripping in gold, Viñas Deluxe radiated as The Sparkling Diamond of the night. Embodying Satine from Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the queen of impersonations beaconed the stage with songs from the Broadway classic. And as Beyoncé’s Halo swelled in angelic hymn, the queen decided to truly break down walls by descending to the auditorium floor for a powerful chorus. Ending on an unforgettable note, Viñas committed to delivering a Deluxe package with her single, Misis, complete with hypnotizing hairography that left the crowd in a dizzied stupor.
With the night still vibrant, the next set sparked with youthful exuberance as it introduced The Drag Avenue, a collective of young Lasallian drag artists. Din Delish placed the audience under a captivating spell with Lady Gaga’s Abracadabra. Her white clothes, in contrast with the harsh red lights, brought the house down with every explosive twist and turn.
Serving looks as steamy as the tropical heat, Sela’s fluid movements washed the stage in gold flakes and flowing fabric with Tyla’s Truth or Dare and Water. Overcome by Queen Bey’s fierce attitude, Beverly Boulevard had the audience Crazy In Love with her rendition of Beyoncé’s live performance. Beverly’s vivacity, all while sporting sparkling silver boots and a bedazzled, tulle-adorned bodysuit, took the spotlight.
Showing how Beyoncé’s honeyed tunes remain irreplaceable, Elodie Laurent oozed seduction as she strutted defiantly to Partition. The drag queen cleverly combined comedy and performance as she infused Filipino online trends with Destiny’s Child classics. And with rainbow umbrellas twirling proud, Aurora Boulevard’s production of Don’t Rain on My Parade from Funny Girl turned the stage technicolor—camp theatricality transporting viewers straight into a musical fantasy. Lastly, giving audiences a taste of heaven, Uxhaina embodied ethereal radiance with Victoria Monét’s Good Bye as she floated in a cloud of white tulle.
The Drag Avenue closed with an exhilarating group performance of I Made It from RuPaul’s Drag Race Live. Through their limitless dynamics and stage presence, the collective testified to the universal existence of queer talent and creativity regardless of age.
Diva unleashed
Bernie returned to the stage now donning a dark brunette wig and silver strappy bodysuit to channel the fierce Rihanna as she sang Where Have You Been. In stark contrast to her earlier number, her energy darkened in a sultry show of her signature choreography and range.
House of Ding matriarch Brigiding then graced the venue as a beautiful Barbied-up Glinda hybrid in perfectly coiled blonde tresses and a hot pink rhinestoned gown, kicking off the Wicked medley with For Good. Her drag daughter, Zymba Ding, emerged from the shadows in a black bodycon mermaid gown with menacing spikes, extended claws, and a sleek ponytail—the perfect reimagined Elphaba. Together, they flounced through Popular and flew off the handle with Defying Gravity as Zymba took the stage’s high ground while Brigiding stood her ground close to the audience.
After the excitement, Tita Baby returned to grant reprieve with a Drag Race Philippines trivia game to award deserving audience members with a chance to meet and greet the queens. Once four winners were picked, the crowd was treated to an impromptu performance from Tita Baby herself, recreating her iconic Lip Sync for Your Life performance against Angel from Drag Race Philippines Season 3 to Sampaguita’s Nosi Balosi.
As Angel finally arrived in a stunning yellow gown, confidence, beauty, and allure emanated as she performed Annapantsu’s cover of Feelin’ Good. With no fuss or frills, she enchanted the audience with a pageant walk that exuded divine feminine energy.
Here and queer
As the final act of the night, Precious Paula Nicole (PPN) showed everyone what it takes to be a Drag Superstar. The crowd was warmed up for a spirited ballad as she teased the audience with Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing, adorned in rainbow ruffles and illuminated by a spotlight—only for her to reveal a sparkling bodice underneath as a transition to a masterful Tyla medley. PPN used LED lights to frame her face in the darkness during Art and silver confetti shower during her concluding performance of Water, leaving the entire auditorium in awe.
The night ended with the queens’ curtain call, but not without giving special thanks to the Lasallian Center for Inclusion, Diversity, and Well-Being for making Animo Pride 2025 and the second iteration of the drag concert possible. Drag is not only a platform for the queens’ talents, but an opportunity to do exactly as the name of the event connotes: to make an explosive statement of unapologetic pride in their queerness. In high spirits, Tita Baby emphasized that pride is always an advocacy—to uplift the community and celebrate different identities.
