Our Best of Winter 2011 with the infamous Lola Van Ella on the cover, is out now! Here’s a sneak peak at her interview with Divertida Devotchka and photo shoot with Shoshana For the entire interview & photo shoot, including a tear out poster, you’ll need the print edition! Issue release party Friday, Dec 2nd at Viva Dallas Burlesque!

Lola van Ella, the Derriere Beyond Compare, talks St. Louis burlesque, the Beggar’s Carnivale, being entertained, and embracing the crazy.
Interview: Divertida Devotchka

I recently watched a beautiful promotional reel for Jumpin’ Jupiter, and I’ve been following updates on the progress. Please enlighten our readers about your involvement at Jumpin’ Jupiter, which is billed as a “neo supper lounge.”
I am proud to say that VanElla Productions is very heavily involved with the Jumpin Jupiter. It’s a gorgeous new burlesque and supper club here, with amazing food and the swankiest environment. It’s just gorgeous. I’ve known the owner for about 10 years and we would always talk about how cool it would be if he could open up a show club that I could perform in. I didn’t actually think that would happen, but I’m incredibly thrilled that it did. It’s been a lot of hard work, a little stressful at times, but now we have a solid supper show and late night burlesque show every weekend that has been selling out and getting rave reviews. The venue is fantastic, with a beautiful red velvet curtain, great lighting and a nice stage. It’s kind of a dream come true to have a place like this in St. Louis.
Another exciting project in which you are involved is The Beggar’s Carnivale. Tell us about your role in the show and about any recent developments. The show is doing some touring now, right?
I’ve never been more excited about another project. The Beggar’s Carnivale has become the largest regular event here in St. Louis and Sammich the Tramp and I produce it together. We are true partners in this. We plan out the shows together and Sammich dreams up the story and a lot of the ideas and essentially directs the show. It is a very collaborative process with our whole cast as well, which includes lots of physical comics, aerialists, fire artists, burlesque dancers, jugglers and a really cool band. I’m really humbled by how large the production has become. We have over 60 people involved in each show including the cast, crew and volunteers. Recently, we’ve added a really cool black and white set and a big carnival midway with games, sideshow tent and vendors. We are also traveling a bit. We’re so excited to be coming back to Dallas!
In an online interview from last spring, when discussing the notion of performers sticking to only traditional classic burlesque, you said, “It would get boring. If art doesn’t change and grow with the times, it will die.” You also recently had a discussion with our editor about the changing climate of burlesque and the return of vaudeville-inspired performance. Could you elaborate on your thoughts on the direction that you feel burlesque is going, or rather, the direction you think it should go in order to avoid artistic death?
Well, firstly, I love a good piece of classic burlesque. When done right, it’s beautiful, sexy, and downright delicious. However, I do think that burlesque has evolved into a performance art that is embracing not only striptease, but really good performance. I see more and more incredible dancers, singers, and acrobats in burlesque. I think more and more, audiences are looking for variety. They want spectacle, skill, wonder. I think audiences crave a truly live experience. Something more than just a show, they want an event. An experience. Burlesque when it started, with its roots in vaudeville, was much more like this. The dancers were more of a novelty, a specialty act, which made them all the more exciting, because they were in the midst of comedy and variety acts and everyone was itching to see the beautiful girls finally come out and wow the crowd. I love the strip. I love burlesque, but I love it more when I’m surprised by it. When it’s titillating, interesting and unexpected. I think audiences are feeling the same way. Regardless, above all, people just want to be entertained; truly and honestly entertained.

Want more?

We last spoke with Austin-based Coco Lectric back in November.  Since that interview, she has gone on to win the Title of Texas Performer of the Year, “Texas Burlesque Ambassador”, and will be performing later this month with none other than Dita Von Teese.  We certainly have a lot of catching up to do, and were honored when Coco took time out of her insanely busy schedule for an interview with us.

Interview & Photographs: Shoshana, of DallasPinUp.com

Q: Since we last interviewed you in November, so much has happened!  First, let’s talk Hot Rods and Heels.  You won the Texas Performer of the Year title, and The Jigglewatts won for Texas Troupe of the Year.  Tell us a bit about the evolution of your work over the last nine months.
The last nine months has been a pretty wild ride. I’ve done more producing than I ever have. We opened the year with a Tribute to Bettie Page which featured The Jigglewatts and Dallas performers, Ginger Valentine and Elisa and other amazing Austin girls. Miss Ruby Joule and I have done a lot more traveling as well; we performed in Albuquerque at the Southwest Burlesque Showcase and in Bustout Burlesque in New Orleans. I performed in Chicago with Michelle L’Amour and her Chicago Startlets in Chicago for “Stripper’s Holiday” in April.

Dallas made reaching my goal of getting my name out there because I got the opportunity to perform in shows with Catherine D’Lish, Perle Noire, Angie Pontani, and my personal favorite, Dirty Martini. I’ve also made festivals a priority this year because, not only would a title or two be wonderful, I get to learn from and become closer friends with some of my favorite burlesque performers and legends. Networking is so important in burlesque world, I mean, sharing one’s performances is kind of the point, right? Performing with other folks from all over the world that make burlesque a priority widens the net of potential audience members and fans.

Q: Right after Hot Rods and Heels, you were off to Vegas to be the only Texas performer given a performance slot at the Miss Exotic World Showcase, part of Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekend in Las Vegas, becoming our “Texas Burlesque Ambassador”.  Tell us about that experience.

Being the opening act for the opening show was an honor. So many attendees told me how much they enjoyed my number and I attribute a lot of that to being the first one on stage. The audience was absolutely incredible and attentive and spent their hard earned time and money to get to the venue, so they were ready for a good show. I was SO ready to give it to them, I’d been saving up my adrenaline for that night and can honestly say that when I walked off the stage, I was content. I even got to give Perle Noire the eyes during a glove peel. She responded ecstatically! Being the “Texas Burlesque Ambassador” this year was an honor but it also brought about a new set of responsibilities. So many amazing performers here submitted applications and I was shocked that I was the only one to get in. I was nervous that if my performance wasn’t so great, they really wouldn’t take Texas seriously. I’m hoping I made a big enough splash this year that they consider more Texas performers next year.

Q: The Jigglewatts are headlining at the Lakewood Theater on July 2, and then you are off to New Orleans to perform with none other than Dita von Teese at Tales of the Cocktail. Can you tell us which number/s you are doing?  Are you more nervous or excited?

I’m performing my Big Red Boa number in Dita’s show. I’m very excited about performing with her and I’m doing the long version of the song, which is what I’m most comfortable with. I’m mostly nervous that I won’t have enough rhinestones on my outfit!  But seriously, I am a little nervous about performing for an entirely new audience. Most folks come to burlesque shows because they love burlesque. Dita von Teese’s audience comes to the show because they love Dita, I hope they have enough room in their burlesque hearts for a full-bodied Texan with a tan.

Q: Your four month whirlwind lands you back in New Orleans in mid September to compete for the title of Queen of Burlesque at the New Orleans Burlesque Festival.  Last year’s competition featured an amazing line-up including burlesque super stars like  Perle Noire, Catherine D’ Lish, and Lola Van Ella.  What was your reaction when you were asked to compete?  What is your view on competition in burlesque?

I was absolutely beside myself thrilled when I found out that I’d be competing in the Queen of Burlesque competition this year. I really want to bring something fresh, new, and a little naughty to the show this year. There is just something about performing with a live band that gets my toes curling. I actually kind of enjoy competition in burlesque, it makes me want to improve my craft and do my homework.

I’ve always been a little bit aggressive when it comes to my talents, though. If I weren’t competing with other bombshells, I’d be competing with myself. It really is difficult for a panel of judges to make a decision of who has the best act though, burlesque is like comparing different fruits. No one is selling the same exact gimmick and everyone likes something different. To be honest, I don’t really know how to compete well with other performers, there’s never a level playing field and most of us are playing different games any way.

Q: In the midst of all this, you also managed to complete your master’s degree, be a single mom, and hold down a personal relationship.  How do you manage to do it all?
Wow. That really makes it sound like I’m busy, doesn’t it? The short answer is: I don’t know. I take things one moment at a time. I follow my passions and I try to temper everything with common sense and logic. My degree will open a lot of doors for me in the future, but it has taken a back seat to everything else. There are a lot of things I know I need to do right now. I need to focus on burlesque right now. I need to be a good mom right now. I need my boyfriend right now…wait that’s not what it sounds like!

On a more personal note, I only get the chance to be a great mom once. I know how important my influence is while he’s young and he is my top priority. My boyfriend has been a great support in my life, artistically and emotionally. We’ve known each other for years and I still get butterflies when I know he’s in the audience. I follow my heart and my gut in all matters of my life and, to my great surprise, I find myself where I belong.

Lola Van Ella took time out of her busy schedule to discuss merkin malfunctions, St. Louis, spontaneity and the role of comedy in burlesque. Lola Van Ella will be performing in Dallas on Feb 27th. Performance info.

Interview: Divertida Divotchka; Photos: Joshua Rowan and Connie LaFlam

Q: You’re coming to Texas for the Amour show at the end of February. Will it be your first time performing in Texas? Do you have to make any modifications to your routines to perform here?
 
Yes! It will be my Texas debut and I’m so looking forward to performing in the Amour show.  And yes, it’s funny, because although I live in the “conservative” Midwest, there is a lot of freedom for performers. One of the acts that I am bringing to the Amour show is my Van Ella Frosting act which involves more nudity than maybe most acts. And I will be modifying it slightly for the Dallas audience. I wouldn’t want anyone to faint (or get anyone or myself in trouble). Ha!

Q: Your burlesque resume is rather impressive. You dance, sing, instruct burlesque and emcee (and I’m sure much more.) How and when did you get your start?

I have always performed in some capacity since childhood, and have been singing, acting, dancing and doing voice over work professionally for 8 years. At one point, about 6 years ago, a theater company in St. Louis asked me to sing and perform a reverse strip tease, which I did for the entire run of the production, and had no idea that it was burlesque!  It was one of those, “I was doing burlesque before I knew what it really was” kind of thing. 

Of course, I loved Gypsy, Busby Berkeley musicals, Marilyn Monroe, and show girls, but I didn’t realize that these things were all connected.  I knew I was an exhibitionist at heart, and shortly after that performance, I played the lead character in a comedic play that required me to do full frontal nudity. I discovered that I had absolutely no issue with that.  It was fun and plus, it was funny, which I enjoyed being. 

In 2005, I was singing in a cabaret when I found out that there was a burlesque show that had just started in St. Louis.  I went to check it out, and found a very small, unpolished, rough show, with no real lights, costumes or emcee. But it had a ton of potential.  I started a week later.  In the beginning there were only a few of us, including Greta Garter, Mariel ala Mode and Honey D’Lite, but it quickly grew.  The Alley Cat Revue was the only weekly burlesque show in St. Louis for over 4 years and it’s where I really had a chance to hone and polish my craft. Plus, I got to sing and dance and tease and strip for lots of people, every week. How great is that?
 
Q: Is burlesque your full time job?

Yes, and sometimes it’s my overtime job! When I’m not performing, I teach a weekly class and am constantly working on producing the next show.  I also travel frequently, to teach and perform, and get to run an amazing troupe of performers, The Bon-Bons. So yes, very full time! I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
 
Q: Watching your routines, it seems that you really understand the importance of comedy in burlesque. Please tell me about your philosophy on the use of humor in your acts.

I strongly and firmly believe in a strict regimen of laughter and wit within the realm of the burlesque arts. It’s of the utmost importance to find the humor in a show that you are doing. Comedy is a serious business, and therefore needs to be taken very seriously, as does burlesque. It’s a very serious business. I am funny because it is the only way to make burlesque legitimate and work in an applicable way. Of course, I am completely kidding.

Burlesque is supposed to be fun. Comedy is fun.  I like to think I’m fun. Even when I am performing a classic or sexy strip, I still like to find places for humor.  Burlesque as with all types of entertainment, needs to be just that- entertaining. I live to entertain and to be entertained. I can’t imagine life any other way.
 

Q: While doing my pre-interview research, I found a Youtube clip in which an audio malfunction almost ruined a routine for Gravity Plays Favorites, and as the emcee, they asked you to sing a song so they could finish. You sang “Whatever Lola Wants” A CAPELLA while they ended the act. I was so impressed by how calmly and confidently you responded. What was going through your head at the time?

Why, thank you! That is a great memory, actually, though I’m not even sure what went through my head at that moment.  Michelle and Katrina are such good friends and in that moment, I knew and they knew that they needed to finish.  The show must go on!  It just kind of happened organically.  It was really spontaneous and fantastic.  I really love that moment.  It’s one of my (and happy to say, their) favorites.
 
Q: Do you have any other stories of show/routine/costume malfunctions and how you handled them?

Oh plenty!  The most recent and notorious one is the “Lola loses her merkin” incident.  It was right before the New Orleans Burlesque Festival and I was performing my competition piece for the last time before leaving.  At the end of the act, when I was supposed to turn around and pose with my spatula, the back of my merkin fell off!  In a split second decision, I pulled it completely off, and turned around and used the spatula to cover the rest of my modesty. Immediately after, my dear friend, Michelle Mynx ran back stage and said “I don’t know if that was on purpose or not, but that has to be the way you perform it in New Orleans!” I knew she was right, even before she told me.  There have been so many others that there is this running joke about me and my technical difficulties.  I’ve actually had numerous fans and friends tell me that they love when things go wrong for me, because they think it’s so great to see how I’ll handle it. I guess I’m supposed to take it as a compliment!
 
Q: What suggestions can you offer for burlesque success?

Self awareness. The understanding of the importance of quality over quantity. The desire and need to constantly learn- Always.  Respect for those who came before you. Lots of perseverance and self motivation. And of course, lots of sparkle, smile and charm.

 
Q: How do you like to spend your time when you’re not working?

I love to travel.  Always.  I’m a total outdoors-y kind of girl, actually.  I love being outside. Walking, dancing, climbing things.  I also love animals.  I love to read. Daydreaming.  Music.  Spending time with loved ones.  And I absolutely love to cook. And eat. A lot. I adore food. 
 
Q: Please share 3 little known facts about yourself.

1. I am a fantastic cook.  Really.  I humbly admit that I’m very good at it.
2. I know the names, stories, and authors of dozens of children’s books, including “Where the Wild Things Are”. I know that book by heart. 
3. I can stand on my head for a disturbing amount of time.