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| Brenda Dharling // photo by Michael Block |
Show: Make It Work Mondays
Location: Barracuda
Queens Seen: Brenda Dharling (@bdharling)
I’m low key obsessed with Brenda Dharling. When I first started critically watching drag, Distorted Diznee was one of the first shows I saw. From that night, Brenda was one that I loved. In that show, she showcases her dance and mix ability. But when you give her a mic, she’ll do all that and more, because the bitch is hilarious! Not only is a seasoned and winning queen of the pageant circuit, she is easily one of the best performers New York City has to offer. Mondays at Barracuda, she hosts Make It Work Mondays alongside her partner in crime, DJ Natazu. If you haven’t seen a Brenda solo show, one of the reasons why she makes it work, pun intended, is the fast-thinking man controlling the sound. DJ Natazu fires away sound bites and clips that add an extra boost of hilarity for Brenda to play off of. Ending a long holiday weekend, Brenda was fortunate to have some crazy, kooky characters in the audience. Between 2 $20 tip Reggie who didn’t know that you can’t tip into the top of a nude illusion and high Brian (put an accent somewhere in there to pronounce his name as he did) from Europe, this Monday was off the charts. We also were introduced to a real life girl named Mona Lisa who actually does smile. Her set list included the fresh off the presses rendition of Fergie’s imaginative version of the “Star Spangled Banner,” a Dua Lipa/Beyonce mash up, her infamous Norway Butter Crisis mix, and a tribute to the Canadians in the house for their victory in Olympic Ice Dancing.
Make It Work Mondays is a hoot and a half. If you need to blow off steam, Brenda Dharling is bound to entertain you. She will dance the house down and tell you stories upon stories. I can’t wait for her to come back from South Africa as I’m sure her chronicles will be epic.