Magic Mike Meets Sex And The City
After putting on the collar and cuffs for Chippendales a few years ago, Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees fame thought he could make his own male revue except fresher and cooler. And now the making of Men of the Strip has turned into a 2-hour reality movie event on E! this Sunday. “It’s sort of Magic Mike meets Sex And The City,” Jeff tells RumorFix exclusively. The movie event begins after seven men are cast for Men of the Strip — the stage production. They have six weeks to learn an intricate dance routine in hopes of getting a residency in Las Vegas. Jeff says, “You see their personal lives — how different they are and how intelligent they are. Mostly you see their work ethic.”
Jeff says the men had to be sexy, but they also had to be able to dance, because, one of the best choreographers in showbiz is one of his partners — Glenn Douglas Packard, who worked with Michael Jackson and Ricky Martin. “Glenn is an openly gay man and he wanted to pick guys that girls knew were straight and that had different types of looks and personalities. He wanted women to know that when they dance with these men, they are genuinely attainable.”
So Jeff and crew ended up with a former adult star, an ex 49er football player, an aspiring UFC fighter and a Zen massage therapist. “You follow them throughout their turmoil — this new job — with the cameras rolling,” Jeff, who also stars in the movie event, says. Jeff’s only requirement — each dancer must also sing! Once they put on the show in Las Vegas — they took the show on the road to more than 40 cities. “We all had preconceived notions about each other, but we formed a brotherhood, “Jeff says.
The cast includes: Chris Boudreaux from Las Vegas, NV, Joel Saijun from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Nate Estimada from San Jose, CA, Kyle Efthemes from Chesapeake, VA, Derek North from Chicago, IL, and Keith Webb and Charles Dera, both from Philadelphia, PA and of, course, Jeff.
Although three or four Men Of The Strip used to be with Chippendales, the former boy band member says this group is different because they’re not body builders, they have sleeker bodies, their level of talent is much higher and the guys love entertaining and it shows. So how is it different from Magic Mike? “This one has a storyline,” Jeff responds. If you want to keep tabs on the Men of The Strip “Like” them on Facebook and catch the movie event Sunday at 10 p.m. on E! after Total Divas. You can see a sneak peek here.
