Ken Page, a stage and screen actor who starred alongside Beyonce in "Dreamgirls," introduced Broadway audiences to Old Deuteronomy in "Cats" and scared generations of kids as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated holiday film "The Nightmare Before Christmas," has died. He was 70.
Talent agent Todd M. Eskin of ATB Talent Agency announced the death Tuesday to The Associated Press, but no details were immediately available.
"He was simply one of the best, most generous souls I know. Full of life and overflowing with joy. Talented and then some. Ken, my friend, you will be deeply missed," writer-producer Tim Burton wrote on X.
Page made his Broadway debut in "The Wiz," playing the Cowardly Lion, and went on to portray Nicely-Nicely Johnson in "Guys and Dolls" with Robert Guillaume. He also was featured in the original cast of the Fats Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin,'" winning a Drama Desk Award, and was aboard when it returned to Broadway in 1988.
Page originated the role of wise Old Deuteronomy when "Cats" landed on Broadway in 1982 and went on to a then-record run, singing "Old Deuteronomy," "The Moments of Happiness" and "The Ad-Dressing of Cats."
Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella in "Cats" and reprised the role in the 1998 "Cats" film version, paid tribute to her co-star on X, saying Page "has gone to the heaviside layer" and adding, "He was a lovely, kind, talented man."
In 2010, Page revisited the Old Deuteronomy at the Muny -- the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis -- and the critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said: "Page, a looming gentle presence, fills the role of the feline spirit guide to the hilt," adding, "Maybe nobody's going to bow to a kitty while intoning `OH CAT,' but Page can make you at least consider it."
Page would perhaps make his deepest impact as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the burlap sack with hundreds of bugs crawling inside of him, in Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas.螕脟鈹 It was his character's hope to become the Seven Holidays King by kidnapping the Holiday Leaders for the other holidays. ""It's hopeless/you're finished/You haven't got a prayer/'Cause I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie/And you ain't going nowhere," he sang to Santa.
He would go on to reprise the Oogie Boogie role, including in video games and at the movie's 30th anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023. He also voiced King Gator in Disney's 1989 animated film "All Dogs Go to Heaven."
His other movie credits include 1988's "Torch Song Trilogy," in which he played the witty drag queen Murray, and 2006's "Dreamgirls," in which he played Max Washington. His TV credits include "Family Matters," "Touched by an Angel" and "Charmed."
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Thai police arrested the driver of a bus carrying young students and teachers that caught fire and killed 23 in suburban Bangkok, as families arrived in the capital Wednesday to help identify their loved ones.
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Ken Page, a stage and screen actor who introduced Broadway audiences to Old Deuteronomy in "Cats" and scared generations of kids as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated holiday film "The Nightmare Before Christmas," has died. He was 70.
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A young man has been charged with first-degree murder after police were called to investigate a suspicious death on Vancouver Island over the weekend.
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David Eby promised to expand financial supports and job protections for sick British Columbians if he wins this month's provincial election, throwing barbs at his main opponent in the process.
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The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
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Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard is set to continue his testimony today after taking the stand in his sexual assault trial.
A 40-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was on probation has been charged with assault with a weapon following an incident in August.
Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard took the stand in his sexual assault trial on Tuesday, denying that he raped his accuser and painting a dramatically different picture of their encounter eight years ago.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people鈥檚 basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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