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

She香蕉视频直播檇 been convinced by her best friend Ruth Krulitsky to compete in a lip sync competition, and Krulitsky香蕉视频直播檚 song of choice was 香蕉视频直播淏eer Thirty香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淩uth likes to convince me to do things that I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to.香蕉视频直播�

Krulitsky, an honest country music fan, was less concerned with Sanford香蕉视频直播檚 plight and more focused on representing the talents of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a real story we香蕉视频直播檙e trying to tell here,香蕉视频直播� Krulitsky said with a wry grin. 香蕉视频直播淔inished for the weekend and hitting the honky tonk.香蕉视频直播�

Sanford and Krulitsky were among the five sets of performers competing during Intuit Studio香蕉视频直播檚 Lip Sync Battle and Variety Show at Nelson香蕉视频直播檚 The Capitol Theatre on Saturday.

Drag is nothing new to Nelson, but a lip sync battle in the style popularized by the show RuPaul香蕉视频直播檚 Drag Race was something the city hadn香蕉视频直播檛 previously seen.

Intuit Studio香蕉视频直播檚 owner MJ Armstrong said she wanted to de-emphasize stage performance with her dancers and avoid what she described as 香蕉视频直播渟tuffy香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淵ou don香蕉视频直播檛 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,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淏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.香蕉视频直播�

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香蕉视频直播檚 show with their take on 香蕉视频直播淟et香蕉视频直播檚 Have A Kiki香蕉视频直播� by Scissor Sisters.

香蕉视频直播滱 lot of people say that drag isn香蕉视频直播檛 being someone else, it香蕉视频直播檚 being yourself,香蕉视频直播� said Sonego. 香蕉视频直播淪o it香蕉视频直播檚 showing the true part of yourself and I think that香蕉视频直播檚 really empowering. Even though I香蕉视频直播檓 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香蕉视频直播檚 a really rewarding feeling.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檛 been on a stage in six years. But when the first notes of Queen香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淪omebody To Love香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淢y whole life I香蕉视频直播檝e been told in many places that I go that I香蕉视频直播檓 too much. Being in the world of drag, there香蕉视频直播檚 no such thing. You can never be enough. I think it香蕉视频直播檚 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.香蕉视频直播�

The night ended in a lip-synced performance of Madonna香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淟ike A Prayer香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渉er secret shame香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淎ll of Nelson is going to know I listen to country.香蕉视频直播�

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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