By Platinum-blond wigs dotted the crowd of 500 people who attended the Night of 1,000 Marilyns benefit at the Andy Warhol Museum last Saturday evening. The event was the closing party for the exhibit “Andy Warhol: Stars of the Silver Screen,” exploring the artist’s lifelong obsession with celebrity.
Bambi Deerest worked hard to capture the confidence and smile of Marilyn Monroe, the star he impersonated at the event. “I don’t smile a lot,” said the drag queen, whose real name is Brandon White, 25, of the South Side.
Performing at the Warhol was a milestone for Mr. White, who, while growing up in Pittsburgh, visited the museum on field trips. For the show he had to study Ms. Monroe, whom he had never before impersonated. “She knew how to work a crowd; I think that’s why they booked me,” he said.