RuPaul’s Drag Race standout star Bosco is ready to embrace her dark side for a massive 33-city theatrical tour across the United States this summer. “The Marvelous Miss Gender” marks the artist’s most ambitious solo project to date, blending cinematic storytelling with high-concept drag spectacle.
For the production, Bosco is stepping into the role of a supervillain alter ego: Miss Gender. In a recent interview with The Pop Break, the Seattle-based performer described the preparation for the tour as “exhausting, exhilarating and all-encompassing.” The show is designed as a narrative-driven experience that pulls audiences into Miss Gender’s lair for a night of comic book-inspired noir, burlesque and satirical storytelling.
The concept of the show serves as a direct, albeit campy, response to the current sociopolitical climate surrounding transgender rights. “Miss Gender is here to spread her gender agenda by turning the world trans,” Bosco said. She explained that the character is a way to reclaim the narrative used by critics of the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s my response to conservatives thinking we’re the problem by proving that we are the problem,” she added.
Illustration @james.t.jeffers
Photography @ericrichardmagnussen
Rather than taking a somber approach to the news cycles involving assaults on trans rights, Bosco chose to find power in the absurd. “I wanted to poke fun at it. I wanted to laugh at it. I wanted to find some sort of joy in how comedically awful everything is,” she said.
The production draws heavily from nostalgic pop culture, citing Batman: The Animated Series, Kill Bill and the Pee-wee’s Playhouse as core inspirations. Bosco noted a particular affinity for the “campy superhero schlock” of the Joel Schumacher-directed Batman films. “We’re going to take it in a very, very trans direction,” she said, jokingly adding that the show might feature battles against “bigots, conservatives and maybe J.K. Rowling.”
The superhero framework is a natural fit for queer storytelling, given the immigrant roots of Superman and the feminist undertones of Wonder Woman as evidence that these power fantasies can belong to marginalized communities. “I think queerness and superheroes kind of go hand in hand,” Bosco remarked, noting that while “superhero exhaustion” may exist in cinema, the stage offers a fresh canvas for these tropes.
A significant portion of the show’s identity is rooted in its commitment to “analog theater” and practical effects. In an era of digital dominance, Bosco is prioritizing a physical world that audiences can feel and touch. “I really want to create things that [exist in the] physical world,” she said, expressing a distaste for “AI-generated garbage.” The tour will feature artist-illustrated backdrops, giant props and forced perspective sets designed to immerse fans in Miss Gender’s world.
Taking on the roles of director, co-writer, and co-producer has been a transformative experience for the artist. While she has produced showcases like Seattle’s “Grindhaus,” this is the first time she has helmed a full-length solo narrative. “I’ve never been the one that gets to drive the ship,” she admitted, describing the process as both “gratifying and freeing, but also nerve-wracking.”
The tour, presented by Murray & Peter, kicked off July 8 in Detroit, Michigan, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. The 33-city trek includes stops at New York’s Town Hall on July 10, the House of Blues in Houston on July 22, and the Wiltern in Los Angeles on July 30, before concluding in Buffalo, New York, on August 16. Tickets for the two-hour show range from $45 to $129, with a $99 VIP add-on available for a pre-show meet-and-greet. The show is restricted to audiences 18 and older.
For Bosco, The Marvelous Miss Gender represents the culmination of her career as a choreographer, dancer and show-maker. “This show has been living in my notes app for years,” she said. “It feels like everything I’ve been building toward.”
