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

Shesa国际传媒檇 been convinced by her best friend Ruth Krulitsky to compete in a lip sync competition, and Krulitskysa国际传媒檚 song of choice was sa国际传媒淏eer Thirtysa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淩uth likes to convince me to do things that I donsa国际传媒檛 want to.sa国际传媒�

Krulitsky, an honest country music fan, was less concerned with Sanfordsa国际传媒檚 plight and more focused on representing the talents of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a real story wesa国际传媒檙e trying to tell here,sa国际传媒� Krulitsky said with a wry grin. sa国际传媒淔inished for the weekend and hitting the honky tonk.sa国际传媒�

Sanford and Krulitsky were among the five sets of performers competing during Intuit Studiosa国际传媒檚 Lip Sync Battle and Variety Show at Nelsonsa国际传媒檚 The Capitol Theatre on Saturday.

Drag is nothing new to Nelson, but a lip sync battle in the style popularized by the show RuPaulsa国际传媒檚 Drag Race was something the city hadnsa国际传媒檛 previously seen.

Intuit Studiosa国际传媒檚 owner MJ Armstrong said she wanted to de-emphasize stage performance with her dancers and avoid what she described as sa国际传媒渟tuffysa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淵ou donsa国际传媒檛 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,sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淏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.sa国际传媒�

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 Saturdaysa国际传媒檚 show with their take on sa国际传媒淟etsa国际传媒檚 Have A Kikisa国际传媒� by Scissor Sisters.

sa国际传媒滱 lot of people say that drag isnsa国际传媒檛 being someone else, itsa国际传媒檚 being yourself,sa国际传媒� said Sonego. sa国际传媒淪o itsa国际传媒檚 showing the true part of yourself and I think thatsa国际传媒檚 really empowering. Even though Isa国际传媒檓 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, thatsa国际传媒檚 a really rewarding feeling.sa国际传媒�

Itsa国际传媒檚 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 hadnsa国际传媒檛 been on a stage in six years. But when the first notes of Queensa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淪omebody To Lovesa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淢y whole life Isa国际传媒檝e been told in many places that I go that Isa国际传媒檓 too much. Being in the world of drag, theresa国际传媒檚 no such thing. You can never be enough. I think itsa国际传媒檚 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.sa国际传媒�

The night ended in a lip-synced performance of Madonnasa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒淟ike A Prayersa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒渉er secret shamesa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淎ll of Nelson is going to know I listen to country.sa国际传媒�

| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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