Chippendales is one of those names that feels like it's always been a part of America's lexicon, even though as a kid I never really knew anything about what the place was or why I'd heard the name before. Then I grew up, and through social osmosis came to find out a thing or two, like how Chippendales is a strip club that features exclusively male dancers. Even more elusive was the origin story of such a place, at least until recently. Hulu's new limited series Welcome to Chippendales tells the story of one Somen "Steve" Banerjee, the Indian American upstart who created the now world-famous stripper troupe.
Created for television by Robert Siegel, and starring Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales follows Somer (pronounced "show-mer") on his journey towards his very own American dream -- owning a classy establishment a la Hugh Hefner's Playboy club, minus the bunnies. Unfortunately, opening a string of backgammon clubs (yes, I said backgammon) wasn't exactly the draw he was hoping it would be. Eventually, he stumbles his way onto the idea of a strip club specifically for female patrons, and the idea of Chippendales is born.
The first thing about this series that really struck a chord with me was the fact that it's an immigrant story. Somer -- or Steve -- is a person of color, living in 1970s California, who kept his head down, worked his job at the gas station, saved, and sacrificed for a whole 15 years before finally reaching out into this world and grabbing what he'd been really chasing: his slice of the American dream. He is a smart, disciplined man whose ability to know when to lean on the expertise of others -- and when not to -- is one of his strongest character traits. It didn't take long for me to start rooting for him, and I don't see myself stopping any time soon.
Secondly, the aforementioned passion that Steve has for the club, which is basically his life's work, has become the basis for all of the forthcoming drama in the season. As he continues to see success, it doesn't take long before some white guy tries to take credit for it. This brings us to Nick De Noia (Murray Bartlett, pictured at top with Nanjiani), a Hollywood choreographer who's maybe not as in demand as he makes himself out to be. At first, he seems to only have the club's best interests at heart, especially since he'd been brought on as the choreographer/show director. However, boys will be boys, and egos begin to interfere in their business practices. Whether you came for the drama, or for the shirtless dudes getting their Magic Mike on, the rest of the season is chock full of surprises.
Welcome to Chippendalesjust so happens to encompass everything I love about gritty depictions of the mid-to-late Seventies: debaucherous music, night club scenes that would make your mama blush and, oh, the cocaine-fueled arguments. Someone might even get shot, so we could be talking full murder-mystery mode here. That said, underneath all that noisy fun is a story that's clearly about self-determination, self-identity, and the cultural implications of the immigrant-American experience. Everyone loves an origin story, and I didn't know how bad I needed to learn about this one.
As far as the execution of Robert Siegel's bow-ties-and-biceps vision goes, let's just say it is more balanced than an Olympic gymnast. The visuals are clean, yet nostalgia inducing. The music is pulsing and raw. And the performances? I don't think there could have been a better cast.
Annaleigh Ashford is perfect in her role as Irene, Steve's accountant, love interest and voice of reason. Juliette Lewis is equally as electric as Denise, Nick's costume designer/cohort. Comedian Adam Ray also appears as the Chippendales MC, Larry. Additionally, Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame) does such an amazing job playing Steve's first business partner, Paul Snider, that I one hundred and fifty percent had no idea that it was him at all. I mean, I'm literally looking at stills of Dan in character as Paul as I write this, and my brain still can't reconcile the fact it's actually the dude from Legion.
Listen, do yourself a favor. Before you watch the show, do not Google "Steve Banerjee." There are major spoilers out there, especially when you consider the fact that Chippendales is a dramatization of real-life events. Banerjee, De Noia, Snider — they are/were all real people, whose lives were really affected by all this mid-Seventies tomfoolery. Thanks to Hulu, however, they've never looked this good. (Nanjiani, fresh off the MCU's Eternals, is still obviously superhero-ripped underneath those suits.)
Let's face it: Real-life drama plays better against sexy music and moody lighting. Fortunately, Welcome to Chippendaleshas plenty of both.
Welcome to Chippendales is now streaming on Hulu.
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