By: Sarah Bradley
When you head to Vegas and you hear the name Chippendales, it's pretty clear that no one is referring to cartoon rodents, but the Chippendales brand still carries its misconceptions. World-renowned for being the leading all-male revue, the Chippendales name has become a pivotal piece of American culture as not only an incredible show but as a brand-driven entertainment powerhouse. Having been established over 30 years ago to provide entertainment to a predominantly female audience, the company has evolved into an international consumer brand.
Though the Chippendales revues are featured all over the world, also touring in North America, they consider Las Vegas' Rio Hotel and Casino to be home, where they perform nightly in their $10 million Chippendales theatre, complete with gorgeous lounge and Chippendales merchandise boutique.
As if the promise of the "Ultimate Girls' Night Out" wasn't a big enough claim to draw hoards of female tourists and every bride-to-be in Nevada flocking to the show, Chippendales has recently featured singer Jeff Timmons, former member of platinum-selling group 98 Degrees, as the special musical guest. Acting as emcee for the evening and performing a mix of 98 Degrees songs, his current music and popular songs by other artists, Jeff has enjoyed his time with the show, having extended his residency until after Labour Day.
"The music is incredible, the backstage production is on point. The visuals of the whole thing, it's completely unbelievable," said Timmons. "I've been blessed to be a part of it; it's been great for me career-wise. People love it and it's certainly energized my fanbase."
The show itself is impressive; a sexy Broadway-style revue with huge musical and dance numbers, costume and set changes. And the men; besides being in better shape than a statue of a Greek adonis, to the point that it hardly seems possible that they even exist in real life, they are incredibly talented. All obviously highly-trained dancers, the strength and athleticism demonstrated in their rigorous nightly performances is comparable to that of an Olympic athlete. An Olympic athlete in little more than cuffs and a bowtie, but I'm not complaining.
"These guys sing and dance. It's not strippers. It's not your grandmothers putting dollar bills in g-strings like the old days," explained Timmons. "But it is extremely sexy and I think it makes it more sexy, the way these guys do it, the production of it all. The way they look, the way they act. Every time someone comes in with a certain connotation, a certain idea about the Chippendales, they leave with a different idea."
And quite possibly one of the main highlights of the show is experiencing the palpable excitement of the crowd. Many women who appear to be quite level-headed, logical, normal people in their day-to-day lives aren't even able to keep from acting like a screaming pre-teen at a Bieber concert.
Jeff Timmons will continue to appear with Chippendales at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas until the beginning of September. Rumour has it that former Baywatch star, Jeremy Jackson may be the next recruit to play host for the famous revue.
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