Les is More

You are never too old to follow your passion. At 59 years young, Seaford’s Les Degen is celebrating his 10^th year as a stand-up comedian. Les “dabbled” in stand-up back in 1978. It slowly came to an end when he had to follow a 22 year old kid named Jerry Seinfeld. Les returned 20 years later after seeing entertainer Sal Richards on a cruise combining singing with his comedy act. This inspired Les to try again, this time combining his own singing talents with his comedy.

Nowadays, you can catch Les at various long Island venues performing stand-up as well as singing Broadway style tunes with his trio “Two Guys and a Gal”. Les also combines singing Sinatra parodies as part of his stand-up act, making him a diverse and at least a double threat entertainer. He has also done some acting. If he adds a tap dance, he could be on his way to international stardom.

Comedy is not limited to clubs, colleges and theaters. It’s not uncommon to see comedy at Libraries, Firehouses, Temples, Churches and local coffee houses. Les fits at any and all of these venues.  I have worked with him many times and the audience responds to his clean, clever humor, and his likeable personality. As Les puts it “so many comedians are angry or depressed. I like to present frustrations with a positive, upbeat type of spin”.

By day, Les is in sales, a job that needs a sense of humor. After a bad day of rejection, it’s nice to go on stage and be loved, most of the time. Like every comedian, Les has experienced bad gigs but he has stayed true to himself, improved his act. Always looking for the silver lining, Les claims   “I'm a part time comic with a full time day job. If there's a chance I could retire by the time I'm 65, maybe I'll jump into this thing full time. After all, I'll still be young, right?” (Yes, Les, you certainly will.)

So, let Les Degen be an inspiration to you. Follow your passion at any age. That sense of fulfillment just might help you live a happier life. 

          Les performs with Two Guys And a Gal at many local libraries, and his stand-up comedy can be seen just about anywhere on Long Island and in Manhattan. Check out his schedule at www.myspace.com/lesdegen.
(really Les? My Space?) 

And for more about the author see www.steviegb.com