We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lola Ohlala a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lola, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with our name was definitely a challenge of its own, however, once it came to my mind, it made absolute sense. European cabaret is all about variety. It wasn’t born with the Moulin Rouge, like many would think, but in tiny little dark cafes located in Montmartre. Poets and artists of all kind were meeting in a smokey ambiance to share their arts and debate, mainly about politics. Surprisingly, shadow plays were a big hit in that realm. Female dancers only started integrating this world later on, the Cancan leading the way in by its political and societal origins.
European cabarets played an educational role by exposing the public to diverse perspectives, promoting the understanding of others and addressing social and political issues, always with humor, beauty and satire… French people love satire.
“Versatile” is an attempt at indicating this unlimited display of various and unconventional performing arts.
I also love the fact that this word is a cognate, spelling and meaning exactly the same in French and English.
Lastly that choice was crucial to never keep my very creative mind limited to one genre, as I am, indeed, very versatile! :)

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Born and raised in France, I discovered cabaret there, dancing as soon as I could in various cabarets and traveling shows. Quickly I became choreographer and also started working on the marketing side of it while still dancing. I didn’t grow up in what you would call an artistic environment. However I knew from very early on (elementary school) that I wanted to become a performer. I definitely had to fight my way in but I guess that made me even more creative and resourceful if anything!
When you don’t have much support for your endeavor growing up, you can only manage if a true passion is igniting you. Cabaret Versatile is the result of this passion. I live to entertain and create unique emotions for our audiences, moments that will inspire them and hopefully bring them a good dose of serotonin!

When life brought me in US, I couldn’t live without cabaret. I started Cabaret Versatile in 2012, with this additional joy of spreading French culture in a new country! Crafting entertainment for all type of events, meeting and working with beautiful talents and amazing people, the past 12 years have flown by. Always eager to travel, we have had the opportunity to take our feathers and Cancan boots across the country but also Hawaii, Guatemala or Canada. We performed for the most diverse crowds, from the Mazda race track in Monterey to Madonna’s private Oscar party in the Hollywood hills or “The Late Late Show” with James Corden. I must say my favorite is to bring the show in places that have never seen a feather before. The genuine sense of awe on our audience’s face is so heart-warming, it sometimes brings tears of joy to my eyes.

Aside from tailoring entertainment for special events, anytime it’s possible I create a new show, self-produced, bringing together the beautiful artists I am lucky to work with. We performed our latest “Ohlala! Nights” at the Cat’s Crawl (Hollywood) this past June. In the tradition of pure Parisian cabaret, dance, songs, acrobatics, comedy and magic meet in the most heart-lifting way!
This show is one of my favorite and most accomplished creation. We are currently seeking representation to bring it on the road, hoping to share this slice of French “joie de vivre” as much as possible here and abroad.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The way everyone interacts behind the curtain is a key component of the show presented on stage. As a manager, the way I behave with any of the cast members will impact how they interact with each other, with the people we work with and for and with our audience.
Respect, positivity and communication are probably the 3 main skills one should have in order to build a strong, cohesive cast, that will support and root for each other. Competition shouldn’t take place in the work place and while navigating egos can be difficult, it is a necessary for me to keep the team’s spirit positive and the quality of the show intact as well.
We all have a common goal, the success of the show. That can only be achieved if all the members of the cast feel accomplished and can give their best while supporting the group. It is primordial for me to offer each talent a moment to shine that will match their personality as well as their skills and what I believe they can achieve. If a dancer doesn’t understand an act I give them or cannot identify with it, I will not insist for her to do it, as long as they try first. Sometimes it takes a moment for them to really “click” with it and make it their own. Sometimes it never happens and we move on to a new one, waiting for another talent to fall in love with it. It is important for me as a creative leader to keep in mind everyone’s personality and talents.
The show needs a soul and that soul is the result of all these beautiful energies coming together in joy, respect and with passion.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Offering entertainment for special events means being ready for any last minute changes to happen… And it happens a lot! Resilience is seriously part of the job!
One of the most stressful experience was probably our first show in Guatemala City. Our containers with all our costumes were stuck in customs until exactly 60 minutes to show time… We were hired by a local production and until the last minute I had to keep everything going with the same positivity and faith that it would all work out. Meanwhile I was also having a meeting with the sound and light team that weren’t speaking English (my Spanish was non-existent back then) with a translator that of course knew nothing about technical terms of stage lighting. When the flight cases were finally delivered, everyone came together to get everything out and prep for show. Even the stage manager and the photographer quickly learned how to do some last minute alteration, while some adorable Guatemalan women appeared from nowhere, steaming the dresses/ feathers… It was seriously wild! But we all came together to make it work, and it did! One more time, unity and passion for the show we were to perform together made it all possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cabaret-versatile.com
• Instagram: @cabaretversatile
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CabaretVersatile/
• Linkedin: Lola Ohlala (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lola-ohlala-1ab18554/)
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CabaretVersatile
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cabaret-versatile-los-angeles

Image Credits

Hannah Dunsirn
Damon Tucci
Miguel Hurtado