Chippenfrauds

Take it off! On second thought, put it back on.

The male performers who danced and disrobed Friday night at Pepper’s Grill in Culpeper were Chippendale imposters, according to Chippendales’ officials.

“Our New York office verified it was a rip-off show,” national publicist Michael Caprio said Monday. “Culpeper was not on the Chippendales tour.”

After receiving comments from dissatisfied patrons accusing the dancers of being phony, the Star-Exponent called Chippendales’ headquarters in New York. Not only was Culpeper not listed on the Chippendales’ tour online, but the “official” male dancers performed in Canada July 25.

“This guy misrepresented himself to us,” Pepper’s owner James Atkins said of tour manager and promoter Marcus Varico. “We wouldn’t have them back. What they said the show was and what it turned out to be — they weren’t exactly one in the same.”

According to Atkins, Varico said he owned the license for Chippendales’ East Coast franchise and assured Atkins they were the real deal, even acknowledging that imposter acts existed.

The Chippendales’ Web site, however, lists Tony Valentine as the head of the East Coast tour. Atkins said Varico emceed the Friday performance and “was probably the star of the whole thing.”

“I have no affiliation with this group,” said Chippendales managing partner Kevin Denberg. “I have no idea who this is. They have nothing to do with the Chippendales brand; it’s an unauthorized performance.”

Contacted Monday, Varico said the reason Culpeper was not listed as a tour stop online was that Virginia “is strict with your ABC laws and all that. A lot of these club owners won’t let just any troupe come in and risk losing their liquor license.”

Varico would not explain further, but denied being an imposter.

“That’s news to me,” he said of Caprio’s statement. “I have a license. I pay $1,000 a month in loyalties.”

He would not, however, provide a copy of the license to the Star-Exponent and questioned why the accusation was relevant.

According to Atkins and a female patron who wished to remain anonymous, the dancers offered their hotel room numbers to women who wished to see them after the show. But Atkins said the men did not stay at the Best Western — they spent the night in Fredericksburg — and that Best Western had guests staying in those rooms.
“That was another thing that didn’t sit right with me,” Atkins said.

Varico defended the dancers, saying it was not a real offer.

“That was just a gimmick to get the ladies fired up,” he said, refusing to comment further.

Women at the show said the dancers — five including Varico — did not don the trademark white cuffs and black bowties during the three-hour performance. Instead, they were dressed as firemen, policemen and characters from “Top Gun.”

Atkins said the men also did not follow their own protocol of remaining on stage and accepting tips only via hand-to-hand exchange; the men reportedly left the stage to collect tips in the audience.

In a letter of complaint written Monday morning to the ABC Board about the troupe, Atkins stated he saw women “sticking money in (the dancers’) shirts and into their teeth. … They walked out on the floor and women (were) touching them.”

Another patron said women could pay extra to go up on stage and get different dances.

Varico vehemently denied the breach in protocol and said there was only hand-to-hand tipping. Photos from the event show otherwise.

“I was emceeing the whole show,” he said. “I would have made an announcement. There was absolutely no touching at all.”

The 250 tickets sold did not bear the Chippendales’ name, but one of the female patrons said Varico repeatedly called the act, “the world-famous Chippendales out of Vegas.”

“I don’t know what our recourse is,” Atkins said. “We didn’t get the money from (the tickets).”

Atkins said Varico’s group collected the money from ticket sales — an estimated $5,000 from 250 tickets for $20 each — giving $470 to Pepper’s. The majority of the restaurant’s profits from the evening came from food and beverage sales.

“It was more just about having fun than anything,” one patron said. “I kind of assumed from the beginning (they were imposters). Some women were having the time of their life. It was cheesy, but it was fun.”

One section of the Chippendales Web site warns against being scammed: “If you hear of a Chippendales performance not listed on our site, it is almost certain to be an imposter.”

Denberg explained they have a “zero tolerance” infringement policy and will alert their attorneys when informed of phonies.

He said the company spends about $500,000 a year protecting the brand and was “sort of shocked” to hear about the performance in Culpeper Friday.

“They’re not only defrauding club owners,” Denberg said, “but fans and paying patrons. They are damaging the first-class image we strive to create.”

Catherine Amos can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 138 or camos@starexponent.com