Mighty Good Men

We’re snobs. Mention “burlesque revival,” and our knickers get in a twist; say “all-male revue,” and we’re thinking Chippendales, circa 1984. Oiled, shirtless men in shiny spandex pants and bow ties writhing around to Wham’s “Love Machine”? Not so much.

But when Marco Marcez and the Men of Playgirl come to Joshua’s Saturday night, they’ll leave the sequins (and the ’80s tunes) at home.

“Male revues used to be big guys just hopping around onstage. We’re like ‘NSync meets bodybuilders,” explains Marcez, who MCs the show before dancing the final number.

The performers dress as Navy officers and cops. “We’ve got coats that look like they’re from The Matrix,” Marcez adds. “But the big thing is that we wear chaps.” Chaps? “We like to show bits and pieces. A guy dancing just in a G-string isn’t so sexy.”

The Men of Playgirl claim to be the number-one all-male touring group, booking about 275 shows a year. “When we’re not working out, eating or doing a show, the only thing we have time to do is sleep,” he says.

These lads definitely need their rest. Marcez describes the nearly three-hour dudefest as a “nonstop, high-energy show that’s in your face and interactive.” Interactive sounds like a euphemism for getting booty, but Marcez claims otherwise. “There’s a stereotype that men who dance always hook up with women [in the audience], but not our group. We’re there to do a job, not to ruin relationships or drink everyone else under the table. We’re party animals for the show only.”

Addressing any men looking to quit the 9-to-5 and take up a different sort of grind (with a crowd of screaming women, no less), Marcez advises, “You’ve got to look good and be in shape. Every one of our guys is some woman’s fantasy.”

When we ask if thong-stuffing is part of the job, Marcez laughs. “What you see is what you get.”