Broadway Star of THE WIZ, CATS, and More, Ken Page Dies at Age 70

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that stage and screen actor Ken Page has passed away at age 70.  He died peacefully at his home in St. Louis, Missouri. Page is best known for his Broadway roles in The Wiz, Ain't Misbehavin', Cats, and more.

Ken Page was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. Widely known as the voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas franchise, he was in the original Broadway casts of The Wiz, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Cats, and It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues. He also appeared in the first Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls with an all-Black cast. He has appeared at regional theatres all over the United States and in London in productions of Randy Newman’s Faust, Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden, Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, The Wizard of Oz, Les Misérables, My One and Only, Little Shop of Horrors, and more.

He most recently appeared in The Muny's productions of Les Miserables and Waitress.

In later years, Page developed and performed his cabaret-singer show, Page by Page, and directed various regional and touring productions. Page was the voice of the notorious talking plant Audrey II in the Muny's production of Little Shop of Horrors. He also reprised the role of Old Deuteronomy in the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals production of Cats in Lubbock, TX.

In 2014, BroadwayWorld gathered a slew of stars to celebrate our 10th Anniversay in BroadwayWorld Visits Oz, a special concert event at Joe's Pub benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Above, watch as Ken Page is joined by Olivia Hardy to sing 'be a Lion' from The Wiz! 

Along with The Nightmare Before Christmas, his film credits include All Dogs Go to Heaven, Torch Song Trilogy, and Dreamgirls, and his TV work includes guest roles on Charmed and Touched by an Angel, as well as various films and specials.

He regularly reprised his role as Oogie Boogie in several productions at Disneyland and Disney World, including HalloWishes, Halloween Screams, Haunted Mansion Holiday, and the Hocus Pocus Villian Spelltacular. He also lended his vocal talents to video games such as The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King and Oogie’s Revenge, and the Kingdom Hearts series.

Page is survived by his mother, Gloria, a large family in Missouri and Texas, and by a legion of friends and fans whose life he touched deeply. He made every person in his life feel the depth of his special soul and millions have been fortunate to share his wonderful talent.

Alec Baldwin writes: “When I first came to LA in 1983, I met Ken Page who was part of a circle of friends that I knew, including Toby Keith. Ken was the rare combination—one of the nicest and among the most talented people I have ever met. We talked about producing an album of his club act, but it never got off the ground. We stayed in close touch always—he just texted me last week sending me sunshine and good vibes. He sent me pictures of his garden and his flowers.”

Whenever Page would lose a loved one, he would post on his social media, “LOVE IS ETERNAL.” The love he shared lives on.