Chippendales

Chippendales
Chippendales dancers in Las Vegas with fans
Formation 1979
Type Theatre group
Purpose Erotic
Location
Website www.Chippendales.com

Chippendales is a touring dance troupe best known for its male striptease performances and for its dancers' distinctive upper body costume of a bow tie, collar, shirt cuffs worn on an otherwise bare torso.

Established in 1979, Chippendales was the first all-male stripping troupe to make a business performing for mostly female audiences. Through the quality of its staging and choreography, Chippendales also helped legitimize stripping as a form of popular entertainment.

The company produces Broadway-style burlesque shows worldwide and licenses its intellectual property for select consumer products ranging from apparel and accessories to slot machines and video games.[1][2][3] The Chippendales perform in a ten-million-dollar theater and lounge built specifically for them at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Annually, the men of Chippendales are seen by almost two million people worldwide, performing in more than 25 cities in the U.S., 23 cities in Central and South America, 60 European cities, four Asian countries, and eight South African cities.[4]

History

Chippendales was founded in 1976 when Somen Banerjee and young attorney Bruce Nahin, purchased a nightclub known as Destiny II on Overland Avenue in Los Angeles. Banerjee was the owner of a Mobil gas station. After a series of attempts to make the club work, Paul Snider pitched a show dealing with male dancers to Nahin and Banerjee, an idea which was initially attempted short term but ultimately became the feature of the club, then named Chippendales. The club name was suggested by Nahin, as the Club had Chippendale style furniture. Dorothy Stratten assisted Nahin in obtaining the permission of Hugh Hefner to utilize the cuffs and collar design utilized in his clubs for use at Chippendales

Stratten was killed by Snider in a murder suicide some months after the male revue opened. Banerjee and Nahin hired choreographer Nick De Noia to transform the club in to a dance revue. The show achieved nationwide recognition and the concept was soon expanded by CEO Nahin, to New York's Club Magique, London, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Thailand, Australia, Philadelphia, and Florida. Authorized shows also toured extensively in the U.S. (by De Noia and Candace Mayeron), Asia, and Europe (through Banerjee).

For Chippendales, the early 1980s were filled with major lawsuits pertaining to personal injury, alleged sexual bias against male guests, charges of racial discrimination and later in 1988 bankruptcy due to Banerjee's refusal to pay a $300,000+ (approx) printing invoice to Anderson Lithograph for a layout error created by a Culver City advertising firm, Haiku Advertising (owned by Al Ako) whereby the 1987 Chippendales calendar had 31 days in each month. Banerjee had signed off on all of the press sheets yet still refused to pay the printing company. Haiku Advertising went bankrupt and Chippendales (Easebe Inc) re-emerged from bankruptcy with a corrected calendar and less debt.

Eventually, De Noia and Banerjee fell out (forcing Nahin to deal with each of his partners separately). Banerjee brought in choreographer/director Steve Merritt, who, with his partner Mark Donnelly, had stage shows playing in Las Vegas and London. Merritt and Donnelly had the idea of putting the male strippers into a kind of mini-Broadway show, with dancers, music, and themes. To find strippers, they recruited the most attractive men they could find from Venice Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Santa Monica Beach. Merritt taught the men how to dance and perform.

Merritt became the choreographer of the Los Angeles show, and ultimately took charge of New York also. This resulted in two separate shows being performed, the De Noia touring version, and the Banerjee-Merritt Version. Banerjee could not tolerate De Noia's ownership of the touring companies and in 1987 hired a hit man to murder De Noia and Nahin. De Noia was killed. Nahin was not in New York at the time and escaped the killing. Mayeron took over producing duties until Banerjee successfully purchased the touring rights from De Noia's heirs for $1 million. Once De Noia was killed, Merritt took control of the touring shows as well. A video based on the Steve Merritt show, titled "Tall, Dark & Handsome" produced by Creative Director Eric Gilbert and Steve Banerjee was released through Celebrity Home Entertainment and sold in wide retail through Spencer Gifts and Target.

The Chippendales, though still popular, continued to suffer from legal troubles, conflicts with "copycat" companies,[5] and in 1993, an allegation of murder — that Banerjee had arranged De Noia's 1987 killing and the proposed killing of Nahin.[6]

Banerjee was arrested and his bail denied, due in part to testimony that Banerjee had said he intended to pay a private pilot $25,000 to fly him back to India without a passport, and threatened to commit suicide if he was arrested. Soon after, the charges against him were expanded to include the hired hit of De Noia and the planned hit of Nahin and a group in Europe known as Adonis. In the early morning of October 23, 1994, after sentencing, Banerjee's body was found laying in his linen-free cell dead from what was officially termed a self-inflicted hanging. It was speculated that Banerjee wanted to shield his wife from a wrongful death lawsuit and from a $1.75 million fine from the government (Chippendales was worth considerably more than $1.75 million); he killed himself before his trial was technically completed.[7]

The entirety of Banerjee's share in the Chippendales corporation and his estate were passed on, in the absence of a $1.75 million fine and any successful lawsuit by the De Noia family, to his wife Irene, who thereafter sold the company (without, according to court records, Nahin's knowledge and without first obtaining Nahin's permission) to the current owner, Chippendales USA. Merritt staged shows at various Chippendales clubs until his death in the 1990s. Irene died of breast cancer in the early 2000s. Mark Donnelly is currently a screenwriter living in Los Angeles. Nahin produces films in Los Angeles.

The company is currently run by Kevin Denberg, whose grandfather was part of a partnership with Steve and Gary Rogers to open a Chippendales club in New York City in the 1980s. Kevin Denberg bought Chippendales in 2000 with several other investors, and immediately set about distancing the company from its somewhat risqué past.

The company continues to battle similar male revues in the courts. Chippendales successfully registered its "Cuffs and Collar" uniform as a trademark in 2003.[8], following an agreement between Hugh Hefner and Nahin, brokered by Strattonn approximately 1980 i. However, because this registration was based on "acquired distinctiveness," Chippendales filed a subsequent application for the same mark in an effort to have the mark recognized as being inherently distinctive. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board affirmed the decision of the examiner that the mark was not inherently distinctive with one member of the panel dissenting.[9] The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board noted that its decision in no way detracted from the rights flowing from the registration in 2003: "However, the fact that applicant already owns an incontestable registration for the Cuffs & Collar Mark should serve as no small consolation in spite of our decision here."[9]

On October 1, 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the decision of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.[10] Nothing in that decision affected the validity of the 2003 registration. One of the reasons for upholding the decision was the testimony of Chippendales' own expert, who admitted the male dancers' outfits were "inspired" by those of the Playboy Bunny, who also feature a bow-tie and shirt cuffs.[11][12] In April 2011, St. Joseph, Missouri, police shut down a show by a Chippendales impostor group, alleging that it violated Missouri's adult entertainment laws.[13][14][15]

Notable dancers and hosts

Radio host Todd Michaels performed with the company in 1991 and 1995.

Former The Bachelor fiancée Vienna Girardi hosted the Chippendales' "Ultimate Girls Night Out" in November 2010. Karina Smirnoff of Dancing with the Stars hosted the following month.[16] Ronnie Magro of Jersey Shore guest hosted an event in February 2011. It was reported that Jeff Timmons would be performing with the group through the summer.[17][18] In 2012, Joey Lawrence was a dancer for a special engagement in June at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.[19]

Chippendale dancers Jaymes Vaughan and James Davis competed in the 21st season of The Amazing Race,[20] ultimately finishing in 2nd place. Vaughan, who sings for the Las Vegas show, has also released a solo single "Vampire",[21] and Davis, serving as the show's guitarist, also plays bass for Vegas band My Name Engraved.[22] Other notable Chippendales dancers are the actor Ian Ziering, the bachelor star Jake Pavelka, the actor Joey Lawrence, the singer Jeff Timmons, Taking Dawn band member Mikey Cross and professional wrestler Kenny King.

In 1990 a Saturday Night Live skit featured guest host Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley competing in an audition to become a Chippendales dancer. The skit was discussed during a horseback ride between Nahin and Swayze.

In the 1997 English comedy The Full Monty, the characters' plan to form a striptease group are inspired by the Chippendales.

They were featured in the 2000 film The Chippendales Murder,[23] directed by Eric Bross;[24] and the 2001 film Just Can't Get Enough.[25]

Director Tony Scott was reportedly working on a film about Banerjee and the Chippendales story at the time of his death and Producer Alan Ball is reportedly working on a story loosely based on the deaths surrounding Chippendales which was to start filming in January 2014.[26] In July 2017, it was announced that Dev Patel is cast as Banerjee and Ben Stiller as De Noia. Production was expected to start in 2018 with a working title of "I am Chippendales"[27]

Bollywood actor, producer Salman Khan has announced a biopic on Somen Banerjee's life and journey of Chippendales.[28]

Literature

  • David Henry Sterry: Master of Ceremonies: A True Story of Love, Murder, Roller Skates and Chippendales (Grove Atlantic, 2008, ISBN 978-1841958767)

Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders Kindle Edition by K. Scot Macdonald (Author), Patrick MontesDeOca (Author)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Liepe-Levinson, Katherine (2002). Strip Show: Performances of Gender and Desire. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-17381-7.
  2. ↑ Gold, Tanya. "Egos as big as their pecs: After 20 years the Chippendales are back but their muscles aren't the only things that are grossly inflated," Daily Mail (May 29, 2009).
  3. ↑ Chinitz, Daniel (2017-02-08). "Chippendales is 'living the dancer's dream,' says Chippendales dancer". The Badger Herald. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
  4. ↑ "Chippendales celebrate 30 years," ABC 13 Action News (Las Vegas) (Mar. 6, 2009).
  5. ↑ Reeves, Phil. "Cyanide in the beefcake: Somen Banerjee, inventor of the Chippendales, stands accused of much more than driving women crazy. Did he not hatch a plot to leave Blackpool strewn with dead Adonises?," The Independent (December 13, 1993).
  6. ↑ Weinstein, Henry. "Chippendale's Owner Indicted in Choreographer's 1987 Slaying: Crime: Somen Banerjee is accused of arranging the unsolved killing. The charges are part of an expanding investigation in the murder-for-hire case," Los Angeles Times (Oct. 7, 1993).
  7. ↑ Weinstein, Henry. "Chippendale Club Owner Kills Himself: Crime: Somen Banerjee, founder of the male-stripper nightspot, is found dead in his cell. He was to be sentenced in the murder-for-hire of his former business partner," Los Angeles Times (Oct. 25, 1994).
  8. ↑ , United States Patent and Trademark Office
  9. 1 2 "In Re Chippendales USA, Inc. Serial No. 78665898," United States Patent and Trademark Office (Dec. 4, 2008).
  10. ↑ "USPTO TTABVUE. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Inquiry System". Ttabvue.uspto.gov. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  11. ↑ Morran, Chris. "Chippendales Fail At Trademarking Dancers' Outfits," The Consumerist (Oct. 4, 2010).
  12. ↑ Bartz, Diane. "Chippendales stumbles in trademark attempt," Reuters (Oct. 1, 2010).
  13. ↑ "St. Joseph Shuts Down 'Chippendales' Show: Four Male Dancers Issued Summonses" Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine., Associated Press (Apr. 8, 2011).
  14. ↑ "Official Chippendales Set Record Straight and Offer Calendars to Victims of Imposter Revue Shut Down by Police in St. Joseph, Missouri," PR Web (Apr. 11, 2011).
  15. ↑ Moore, Matthew. "Chippendales dance troupe sues rival strippers", The Telegraph (May 25, 2009).
  16. ↑ "Vienna Girardi Poses With Chippendales Dancers, Gets Tied Up," Huffington Post (Oct. 6, 2010).
  17. ↑ Mandell, Nina. "Former 98 Degrees' bandmate Jeff Timmons to join cast of Chippendales — but will he strip?," New York Daily News (Apr. 15, 2011).
  18. ↑ Ward, Kate. "98 Degrees' Jeff Timmons will raise Chippendales' temperature for a limited run," Entertainment Weekly (Apr. 13 2011).
  19. ↑ "Joey Lawrence is a Chippendales dancer!". Entertainment Weekly. June 11, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  20. ↑ Moynihan, Rob (August 29, 2012). "New Amazing Race Cast Includes Fabulous Beekman Boys and Heavy Metal Rocker". TV Guide. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  21. ↑ John (2012-08-29). ""The Amazing Race" 21: Meet the Newest Members of Team Gay!". AfterElton.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  22. ↑ "ALBUM REVIEW: My Name Engraved – Saint The Destroyer EP". FiggZillaMusic.com. 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  23. ↑ The Chippendales Murder entry, Internet Movie Database. Accessed Apr. 22, 2011.
  24. ↑ Bianculli, David. "Murder Most Banal: Chippendales reveals little," New York Daily News (Nov. 7, 2000).
  25. ↑ "Just Can't Get Enough entry, Internet Movie Database. Accessed Apr. 22, 2011.
  26. ↑ Brunton, Richard. "Tony Scott filming Chippendales biography," Filmstalker (Oct. 31, 2009).
  27. ↑ https://deadline.com/2017/07/chippendales-movie-dev-patel-ben-stiller-steve-banerjee-nick-denoia-bold-films-murder-male-strip-club-1201911729/
  28. ↑ 
                                                                                                                                            29.Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders Kindle Edition
                                                                                                                                             by K. Scot Macdonald  (Author), Patrick MontesDeOca (Author)
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