Burlesk King is the second film in the gay-themed trilogy of Mel Chionglo and Ricky Lee about the lives of macho dancers, men who work as strippers in Manila's gay bars. The first is Sibak: Midnight Dancers; the third is Twilight Dancers. Other films exploring the same theme are Lino Brocka's Macho Dancer (1988) and Brillante Mendoza's Masahista (The Masseur, 2005).