For eight hours, Shelby Sanford was in country music hell.

She害羞草研究所檇 been convinced by her best friend Ruth Krulitsky to compete in a lip sync competition, and Krulitsky害羞草研究所檚 song of choice was 害羞草研究所淏eer Thirty害羞草研究所� by the country duo Brooks & Dunn.

Sanford, not a fan of country music, reluctantly agreed. To learn the lyrics, she put the song on repeat during a long drive from Nelson to the coast. Eight hours, one song over and over, until she could sing by heart a tune she might need 30 beers to enjoy.

害羞草研究所淩uth likes to convince me to do things that I don害羞草研究所檛 want to.害羞草研究所�

Krulitsky, an honest country music fan, was less concerned with Sanford害羞草研究所檚 plight and more focused on representing the talents of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a real story we害羞草研究所檙e trying to tell here,害羞草研究所� Krulitsky said with a wry grin. 害羞草研究所淔inished for the weekend and hitting the honky tonk.害羞草研究所�

Sanford and Krulitsky were among the five sets of performers competing during Intuit Studio害羞草研究所檚 Lip Sync Battle and Variety Show at Nelson害羞草研究所檚 The Capitol Theatre on Saturday.

Drag is nothing new to Nelson, but a lip sync battle in the style popularized by the show RuPaul害羞草研究所檚 Drag Race was something the city hadn害羞草研究所檛 previously seen.

Intuit Studio害羞草研究所檚 owner MJ Armstrong said she wanted to de-emphasize stage performance with her dancers and avoid what she described as 害羞草研究所渟tuffy害羞草研究所� dance showcases.

Lip sync battles between dance numbers, she decided, would mix up the program and challenge contestants who were also judged on their costume and props, dancing, and crowd engagement.

害羞草研究所淵ou don害羞草研究所檛 have to be really good at any one thing, you just have to be kind of good at a lot of things to do a good lip sync performance,害羞草研究所� said Armstrong.

One of the judges was Lev Sonego, or Aloe Vera if you prefer their stage name, who since 2017 has been performing with the local drag troupe The Dancing Legs. Sonego said contestants should exaggerate their facial movements and try to not overthink the lyrics.

The performance, Sonego said, should be an honest one.

害羞草研究所淏ecause when that happens, then they can totally sell it. When you are thinking about your lyrics, then we can see it on your face.害羞草研究所�

The Dancing Legs, which also includes Alex Pilon (Johnny Poutina) and Marjorie Jade Menard (Shiraz DeVille) who co-hosted Saturday, started as three friends chatting about drag over drinks. They decided to audition for a Christmas burlesque show, and five years later looked like seasoned professionals when they opened Saturday害羞草研究所檚 show with their take on 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 Have A Kiki害羞草研究所� by Scissor Sisters.

害羞草研究所滱 lot of people say that drag isn害羞草研究所檛 being someone else, it害羞草研究所檚 being yourself,害羞草研究所� said Sonego. 害羞草研究所淪o it害羞草研究所檚 showing the true part of yourself and I think that害羞草研究所檚 really empowering. Even though I害羞草研究所檓 wearing a costume I am showing a really vulnerable part of myself. So I think being able to do that and feel empowered by it, that害羞草研究所檚 a really rewarding feeling.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 also clear from the audience which performers have tapped into that feeling.

Laena Brown, one of the competitors, has a theatre background yet prior to Saturday hadn害羞草研究所檛 been on a stage in six years. But when the first notes of Queen害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪omebody To Love害羞草研究所� began to play Brown, wearing a bee-inspired costume, danced and jiggled and lip synced in a performance that would have made Freddie Mercury proud.

害羞草研究所淢y whole life I害羞草研究所檝e been told in many places that I go that I害羞草研究所檓 too much. Being in the world of drag, there害羞草研究所檚 no such thing. You can never be enough. I think it害羞草研究所檚 a huge place of freedom and imagination and joy and it also gives people watching and witnessing the permission to experience that joy and that freedom.害羞草研究所�

The night ended in a lip-synced performance of Madonna害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淟ike A Prayer害羞草研究所� between the finalists Krulitsky, Sanford and Brown. Krulitsky and Sanford won the judges over yet again by returning to the stage in monk robes with crosses in hand, and went home with a $1,000 prize.

But Sanford left with something else she admitted was 害羞草研究所渉er secret shame害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� she now has country songs on her playlists. When Sanford realized she was sharing this detail with a reporter, a look of dawning horror appeared on her face.

害羞草研究所淎ll of Nelson is going to know I listen to country.害羞草研究所�

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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