After 30 years in the business, UK cabaret sensation Lenny Beige is about to take to the Hollywood stage for the first time with his show, One Man and His Talent. Here, Lisa Marks talks to Steve Furst, the man behind the ultra-tanned legend, about what audiences can expect from a night of swinging Rat Pack revelry, tongue-in-cheek tomfoolery and cocksure swagger….
How would you describe Lenny Beige to someone who’s never seen him before?
He’s a rare kind of theatrical unicorn, that of an all-round entertainer. Lenny has a real swagger. He would have loved to have been in the Rat Pack but was born slightly too late and in the wrong country. In Britain, he would have been more like Bruce Forsyth. He plays instruments, tells gags and takes audience suggestions. There’s nothing Lenny won’t embrace.
Will there be any special guests?
It’s basically Lenny for 75 minutes but I’ll also be joined by Richard Shelton, who’s my friend, and appeared on my Christmas show last year, for a Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jnr duet. In the last ten years, I’ve done tributes to Anthony Newley, Tom Waits and Neil Diamond and there’s a bit of Diamond and Newley in there. Lenny’s not afraid to bring in the artistes who have been influential in his life.
Part of Lenny’s comedy is very much in the old Jewish tradition. Will we be seeing some of that?
Of course. I used to live in Los Angeles and know that the Jewish stuff is so well received. The audience is built in to receive that kind of comedy whereas maybe only 40% of my UK audience get it.
Why has it taken so long for LA to welcome Lenny?
I like to give my characters a backstory so the reason is that back in the day Lenny was involved with John Lennon and thinks that for some reason he was put on a cultural blacklist! But I’m glad it’s happening at last. My mum and step-dad, who is an American musician and a professor at USC, have lived in LA for about ten years. It’ll be lovely to see them after a long break because of lockdown.
If you could perform with anyone say from that, that Golden Age of Hollywood, who would that be?
Sammy Davis Jnr every time. In the early days we had Lionel Blair on the show and he absolutely loved Lenny. Lionel used to do all the choreography for Sammy when he visited the UK. I’m still passionate about keeping that element of old Hollywood alive.
You’ve been in the business a long time, what would you say to those starting out?
Keep learning and keep the tank topped up. You never know when it’s going to happen.
Your screen credits include Made in Dagenham and Friday Night Dinner but what’s coming up next?
I’m on a show for Starz called The Serpent Queen, with Samantha Morton. It’s a big historical epic. And I’m still doing my character stuff as well. You can check out my website for all the latest news.
For tickets to see Lenny Beige in One Man & His Talent, at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s, in Studio City, on June 23, or New York, at 53 Above Broadway, on June 28, visit stevefurst.com.
