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

She含羞草研究社檇 been convinced by her best friend Ruth Krulitsky to compete in a lip sync competition, and Krulitsky含羞草研究社檚 song of choice was 含羞草研究社淏eer Thirty含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淩uth likes to convince me to do things that I don含羞草研究社檛 want to.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a real story we含羞草研究社檙e trying to tell here,含羞草研究社� Krulitsky said with a wry grin. 含羞草研究社淔inished for the weekend and hitting the honky tonk.含羞草研究社�

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

Drag is nothing new to Nelson, but a lip sync battle in the style popularized by the show RuPaul含羞草研究社檚 Drag Race was something the city hadn含羞草研究社檛 previously seen.

Intuit Studio含羞草研究社檚 owner MJ Armstrong said she wanted to de-emphasize stage performance with her dancers and avoid what she described as 含羞草研究社渟tuffy含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淵ou don含羞草研究社檛 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,含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淏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.含羞草研究社�

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含羞草研究社檚 show with their take on 含羞草研究社淟et含羞草研究社檚 Have A Kiki含羞草研究社� by Scissor Sisters.

含羞草研究社滱 lot of people say that drag isn含羞草研究社檛 being someone else, it含羞草研究社檚 being yourself,含羞草研究社� said Sonego. 含羞草研究社淪o it含羞草研究社檚 showing the true part of yourself and I think that含羞草研究社檚 really empowering. Even though I含羞草研究社檓 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含羞草研究社檚 a really rewarding feeling.含羞草研究社�

It含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社檛 been on a stage in six years. But when the first notes of Queen含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淪omebody To Love含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淢y whole life I含羞草研究社檝e been told in many places that I go that I含羞草研究社檓 too much. Being in the world of drag, there含羞草研究社檚 no such thing. You can never be enough. I think it含羞草研究社檚 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.含羞草研究社�

The night ended in a lip-synced performance of Madonna含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淟ike A Prayer含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社渉er secret shame含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淎ll of Nelson is going to know I listen to country.含羞草研究社�

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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