Sharonne: “Drag is my way of meditating and forgetting about my problems”

Cristóbal Garrido (Sabadell, 1976) receives me an hour and a half before the function of Priscilla Queen of the Desert in his dressing room at the Tivoli with a hot brew and a make-up perfect He has been grinding away at the Barcelona transformism scene for years. With his alter ego, sharonnehas won the second season of Drag Race Spain. Now it is one of the drag queens most popular on the national scene and stars in the great international musical based on the film of the same name, and the show-concert All Divasat the Teatre Condal.

Sharonne in a promotional image of the show ‘All divas’

Barcelona Theatre: From Sabadell to star of the drag. how did that go

sharonne: When I was 14, he opened the first theater school in Sabadell, Trama Expressió, and I immediately went to sign up. cthis week they brought us a professional from the world of entertainment: The Cubantheangel Pavlovskythe Pirondello… Transformism aroused a lot of curiosity in me, it seemed to me to be something very complex. It is an art that is often not considered theater and is very difficult to do. The Pavlovsky produced its own shows and had a magnificent stage identity. Seeing him I realized that there was another path, one that no one was following.

Have you confirmed that transformism is difficult to do?

Now things have changed a lot. with RuPaul’s Drag Race there are many people who get carried away by the image only. They buy wigs, dresses, make-up… And they think that’s it. For me an artist is a person who has to offer a show. Whatever it is: dancing, singing, performing with a microphone, writing… There is a friend who writes and writes novels. Drag is an art that gives you many possibilities. For me it is my way of meditating, of forgetting all my problems.

There is a generational gap between the lifelong transvestite and drag.

It is rather a matter of the lexicon. With the film of Priscilla (1994) and that ofTo Wong Foo (1995), everything began to change. It began to be known what drag was, which is still the transformism of life, but coming from America. Thirty years ago it was a totally different style. Here what was done was a more classic transformism: those who imitated Marilyn Monroe, Edith Piaf, Lola Flores, Sara Montiel… Of show in addition to music hallwhat was done at Paral·lel, where the artist spoke to the public in a picaresque manner.

Sharonne crowned as the winner of the second edition of the competition ‘Drag Race España’

And then RuPaul shows up.

Then we all became more American on stage. With the video clip of Supermodel of the World we saw another type of transformist with a personality of his own… Suddenly they came out cyber drag: bald, with spikes and lights everywhere. It was something like very new and they wanted it at every party. Everyone wanted to have their performer there. It is an art that has been advancing and growing.

Was it more political?

Now we are very afraid because immediately you say that according to what and you are already canceled. You have to be very careful. Before there was much more freedom to say things and nothing happened either. After all, that’s what theater is for, it also makes a complaint about what society is. And precisely drag is supposed to be a space of freedom where you can say anything and you must be understood, because you are already in a context.

“It is interesting not to stay only within the collective, but to occupy spaces where we were not allowed to enter”

Do you struggle to put your paw in?

Sharonne isn’t too bad, she isn’t roast. I like to let them go but with a bit of innocence, because I don’t want people to feel offended either. I want to be able to reach a more general audience. It is interesting not to stay only within the collective, but to occupy spaces where we were not allowed to enter.

Drag Race has put you in the spotlight.

Now we are in full view. You may or may not like Ru Paul, but what he has achieved with his show is that everyone in the world knows what to do drag. There is no doubt about that.

we have more drag on TV, but fewer venues with live transformation.

I see Barcelona, ​​in this sense, very sad, the truth. I lived through the end of that most rascal city, in the 90s, and it was a lot of fun. You went out at night and went to places like Bodega Bohemia, Cangrejo, Molino, Marsella, Nitsa. You could find actors who went for a drink after performing while watching a show… There were shows everywhere. In the Metro they held one at 3 in the morning which was always full. This is totally gone. The authenticity that was there before, is no longer found.

Getting to star Priscilla it must not have been an easy road.

“Cuesta arrives, always.” Everywhere you have to strive to be able to work on what you like, don’t you? I’ve gotten used to living with this insecurity. It’s been good for me so far.

Sharonne stars in the musical ‘Priscilla’ at the Tivoli Theatre. Image: Marc Mampel

That a national star of the drag starring in two big shows at the same time was unthinkable a few years ago.

I find it very interesting and very necessary. Not because it’s me, eh?, but when I see that in the United States la Jinx Monsoon e.grotagonize Chicago or Latrice Royale ago The shop of horrorsI think we do well to take into account the drags who are fighting for this most current transformationism and who have a lot of talent to be able to play mythical characters on big stages. Also, it’s proven that there’s a pretty massive audience behind it, and there’s a lot of stories that have a lot to do with the LGTBiQ+ world that I think should be squeezed out.

“In ‘Priscilla’ there were very transphobic jokes that are no longer there, fortunately”

Or revisit them, as has been done in Priscilla.

The Priscilla what we do now has been completely renewed. There are many things in the text that have been modified, because as a society we have evolved. There were some very transphobic jokes that are thankfully gone. However, when the film was released it was way ahead of its time. The story of a guy who has a child with a woman and who is dedicated to transformation, she accepts and invites him to perform in her casino… It remains current because 30 years ago it was already radically modern.

It is both festive and exciting.

The public lives it very much. Suddenly people get up and stand there singing and dancing. In many moments, in the front rows, I see people crying. It is very beautiful.

As always, you act in character, you shouldn’t be recognized on the street.

for me Drag Race it has been a turning point in my life and career. Now they know who I am, I never hid. Before I did keep this magic a little more… I had come to hear some conversation in which they talked about me and they didn’t know I was there. But it hasn’t happened to me again.

Sharonne is the alter ego of Cristobal Garrido

Aren’t you afraid that Sharonne will eat Cristóbal?

no I am also very grateful to myself. I will never say: “I’m sick of this character”. Sharonne has given me a lot and I’ve given a lot too. It has been mutual. We grow and incorporate things we learn from each other. I don’t have a picture of Sharonne at home, or heels or a feather boa. I live super quiet, and when I’m at home, I completely disconnect.

A Priscilla and to your show All Divas the figure of the classic diva is claimed. What do you like about them?

A diva can be a person you see as unattainable, and suddenly she is a lady who has a very normal life with her family. I really like characters that are put together to give glamor on stage or in front of a camera, but have nothing to do with who they really are. I’m interested in platonic loves and divas who look over your shoulder, but who you forgive because you love their music.

Is being a diva positive or negative?

It is both at the same time. There is also a dark corner, obsessive, unbearable… What interests me the most is what I grew up with, the most positive and bright.

“I’m not very interested in the new divas. I’m very classic”

We are seeing the resurgence of the pop diva concept…

I won’t lie to you: I’m not very interested in new divas. I’m very classic. The most modern I hear is theAnastasiathe Whitney Houstonthe madonna or the Diana Ross. I listen a lot to recordings of diva concerts that are actually theater shows, like the ones that Liza Minnelliwhere they explain their life and a lot of anecdotes. This is also what I do, when I go on stage as Sharonne.

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