by Robert Igoe

Created on: January 12, 2009

Just hours before their show at a Best Western in Hagerstown, Maryland, where would you think the Chippendales' East Coast touring team is? In their rooms? Enjoying dinner in a private dining room of a fine restaurant?

Actually, they're standing in the middle of the lobby and talking on their cell phones. And if the tight black leather pants with the silver Armani Exchange belt buckles and muscular, toned bodies don't tip off the rest of the guests as to who they are, the t-shirts emblazoned with the Chippendale logo and the posters in the lobby area are a dead give-away that they are in the presence of the Ultimate Girls Night Out.

Such a public presence is rare for celebrities and entertainers. Imagine going to a New York Yankees game and seeing Derek Jeter in full uniform enjoying a hot dog at the concession stands. Or going to a Rolling Stones concert and seeing Mick Jagger standing outside the arena in his trademark baggy white shirt. Yet oddly, though these men get the wide-eyed stares and awe of every woman who walks by, none come up to them, as if intimidated by their legend and mystique. It's not that these ladies haven't seen beefcake, and likely other male strippers before, but there is a difference between even the best minor league hockey teams and the NHL for both the fans and the men.

"Being a Chippendale means you have the honor of wearing the name itself," says Bobby Kerecz, who not only dances, but sings as part of the Chippendales East Coast traveling show. "To represent the company means that you're the celebrity or a movie star in this industry. There are other dance groups out there, and some of them are good, but no one can top the name Chippendale,' the elite name in male entertainment. It's an honor to wear the name, because it shows that you've made it to the top."

That the Chippendales are still the champions will be obvious come showtime, the same time that the women's shyness wears off. That's when those who have paid up to $40 to see them will have dollar bills in hand for the opportunity to see them up close and personal. After the show, they'll pay $10 for a Polaroid photo of themselves with the dancers. Maybe another $20 or so for a calendar, a DVD, or a teddy bear. Maybe some of them will pay $35 for an official replica set of the team's trademark cuffs-and-collar set for fantasy night with their boyfriend or husband.

But for these few minutes, which sometimes appear to be what passes for a Chippendale's leisure time, the dancers

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