A randy crowd came ready to get it on at the Gladstone Hotel when burlesque group Skin Tight Outta Sight teamed up with Boylesque TO for a double-bill affectionately titled Be Mein Valentine.

The show departed from the predictable and opted instead for a Weimar Republic theme.

“Berlin’s Weimar Republic era was an artistically fertile and forward-thinking period of German history,” said Boylesque TO founder Ben Paley. “We didn’t want to do the lovey dovey thing. It’s been overdone.”

Footage from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin was projected on a screen to a packed house. Saturday’s performance spilled into the Melody Bar next door. Both Valentine’s Day weekend shows were sold out.

The Boylesque TO and Skin Tight Outta Sight double bill featured a variety of burlesque genres and was a titillating adventure from beginning to end. Performer Coco La Crème kicked it off with a high-energy Josephine Baker-style performance. Sauci Calla Horra added some class with a glamorous fan dance, and Dew Lily had the crowd transfixed with an interpretive dance.

Several comedic pieces rounded out the show by Skin Tight’s Miss Honey Behind, Tanya Cheex and newest member, Mena Von Fleisch, along with Boylesque performers Mahogany Storm and Wrong Note Rusty.

Burlesque performances were equally divided between Skin Tight Outta Sight, Boylesque and collaborations between the two troupes. Crooner Terra Hazelton belted out retro tunes while hosts Bologna Rye, Sexy Mark Brown and Ginger Darling kept the audience warm. The Alistair Christl Band provided the house music.

“I was blown away by the calibre of performance,” said Steven Ziegler. “During intermission, I was texting my friends to tell them to go to the Sunday performance. I had a great time.”

Although this is the first time that the two groups collaborated, they have done guests spots for each other. Ben Paley even credits Skin Tight Outta Sight with inspiring him to get into the business.

“We’ve had a great relationship since we started out,” said Paley of his group’s relationship with Skin Tight Outta Sight. “Dew Lily and I participated in one of their Strip Search competitions and tied for first place,” he added nostalgically.

While there are several notable burlesque acts in Toronto and plenty of amateur performers, Boylesque TO is the only all-male burlesque troup in Toronto and one of three in the world. Founded in January of 2008, the group has a rotating cast of 13 members with 7 steady performers. While there is another Boylesque group in San Francisco, the two are not directly associated.

“The word ‘Boylesque’ is actually a generic term that means male burlesque, and was chosen to simply covey what the group did,” said Paley.

While burlesque carries a stigma of glorified stripping to some, Boyleque TO takes their craft seriously as an art form. In fact several members come from strong theatre and dance backgrounds. Some members are in grad school while others keep day jobs in tech, administration and insurance. One member is even a professor.

“My dream is to have burlesque recognized as being a legitimate art form like any type of theatre,” said Paley. “It’s hard for burlesque to get funding and grants [in Canada] “We need great burlesque troupes to take it there.”

Judging by the caliber of performance, at the Gladstone this weekend, they are definitely on their way.

See gallery for show highlights.