Girls gone wild... over local Magic Mikes

They went for a preview of hot male bodies and sexy stripper dance moves on the big screen, and certainly left satisfied. 

At Wednesday night’s ladies-only advance preview screening of Magic Mike XXL at Golden Village Suntec City, 178 women in their 20s to 40s packed the theatre.

But a surprise treat was revealed just before the M18 movie was screened — a real-life entourage of six male strippers.

Their three-minute dance routine took inspiration from the 2012 movie Magic Mike, with the chiselled hunks showing off impressive hip-hop moves.

During the performance, the guys stripped off their shirts and threw them into the audience, to the utter delight of the crowd. 

They continued dancing topless, and even pulled some women from the audience to enjoy an up-close-and-personal dance.

“It got us in the mood for the movie,” said 26-year-old accounts executive Doreen Chua.

“Quite a few of the guys had really nice bodies and great abs. We only wished the dance had gone on longer! 

“Their moves were good, but not as good as the ones from Magic Mike!”

The fun continued during the screening, during which actors Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello’s stripping routines received the biggest cheers.

CELEBRATING

One of the lucky women brought to the front by the strippers was celebrating her birthday - her husband had helped organise the celebration for her and her eight friends. 

The group declined to be named, with one of them piping up:

“We all have kids, so we don’t want them to know we were here!” 

Ms Shanniz Irmana, a 23-year-old digital marketing executive and diehard Magic Mike fan who attended with her three colleagues, admitted to The New Paper: “We did a three-hour walk last night (for exercise, from our office in Tanjong Pagar to East Coast), and until two hours ago, I was feeling fine. But after watching the movie, I feel a little weak in the knees!” 

She added: “I thought (the sequel) was beautifully shot, with all the right angles, music and lighting. And the choreography was perfect. I heard there was going to be no storyline and lots of action, and that’s exactly what I got, and what I wanted!”

Team leader Calvin Siew said his crew was overwhelmed by the reaction to their performance. 

“Even before we began the routine, we could really feel the excitement in the atmosphere,” the 31-year-old dancer-stripper said. “We really fed off the energy the ladies were giving to us.”

Mr Siew said they are used to appearing at hen nights, but it was their first time performing together as a group, as hen nights tend to feature only one or two male strippers. 

“We rehearsed for two weeks to put the show together. It’s my first time dancing in a theatre, and it was a great chance to showcase ourselves as a group.”

Ms Joyce Chay, senior marketing executive of Golden Village, which organised the event jointly with Magic Mike XXL’s distributor Warner Bros, said they were very happy with the reception and would consider organising similar events in future for suitable movies. 

“We’ve done other ladies-exclusive screenings before, for movies like Fifty Shades Of Grey,” she said. “We thought it would be nice to have some half-naked guys to entertain the ladies as a surprise.”

And if any women were left wanting, Mr Siew promised to show more skin if his crew are invited to perform at a possible Magic Mike sequel screening. 

“Next time, if it’s allowed, we will definitely take our pants off too!”

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MAGIC MIKE.SG

10 FACTS ABOUT MALE STRIPPERS IN SINGAPORE

Local male stripper Bradley and two event companies offering male stripping services — Wicked Favors and Pricks and Licks — dish on what people don’t know about the scene...

They can’t strip in public
According to the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act, it is an offence for a person to appear nude in a public place, or be clothed in a manner to offend public decency. 

It’s often guys who make the first move
“Girls are squeamish about requesting for a male stripper for hen nights, so they often get their boyfriends to call us,” said Ms Yen Lin from Wicked Favors. 

Local women find big men too imposing
Rather than hulks like Magic Mike’s Joe Manganiello, local women prefer bodies like Matt Bomer’s — toned but less physically intimidating. 

Magic Mike XXL. PHOTO: WARNER BROS

Some girls cry during shows
“I once had a bride-to-be burst into tears when she saw me,” said Bradley. “Fortunately, she cheered up when I offered to perform for one of her friends instead.”

Older women enjoy male strippers too
Bradley’s oldest client was 65 — he was hired by the woman’s son-in-law for her birthday bash. He said: “Her friends were also very into it. They called me ‘Ah Boy’ and cheered me on.”

No photo in portfolios
The agency portfolios describe the men but won’t reveal their faces to prevent identification. 

Sexual orientation doesn’t matter
“We never ask our strippers if they are gay or straight — it doesn’t affect our business,” said Ms Yen Lin. 

Gay men can be shy with strippers
Strippers may also be engaged for gay parties. “Surprisingly, I’ve found the gay men to be more shy than the women,” said Bradley. 

Caucasian strippers cost more
They charge more — about $100 — than Asians as they are considered more exotic here. 

Jealous men are barred from shows
“We’ve had husbands walk out of the room, so we are careful to ask about male representation at the show before a gig,” said Mr Mo of Pricks and Licks.