Elaine Page Brings a Little Broadway and West End to The McCallum, 2/27

Elaine Paige celebrates her love of jazz classics and contemporary songs in her own unique style in a one-night-only headline performance on Wednesday, February 27, at 8:00pm at McCallum Theatre. Paige is famous for her countless successes on both sides of the Atlantic, from originating the role of Grizabella in Cats to her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard. She is an actress, recording artist, producer and broadcaster and has made a major contribution to the modern musical which ensures her own chapter in the entertainment world and justifies the title "The First Lady of Musical Theatre".

She has starred in numerous West End productions, on Broadway and in concerts internationally, sweeping to fame when she created her award winning performance as Eva Peron in Evita. Shortly after she created the role of Grizabella in the original production of Cats and the classic song "Memory" became one of Elaine's many hit records.

Further theatre productions include Hair; Jesus Christ Superstar; Grease; Billy, Chess (with her record breaking hit "I Know Him So Well"); Anything Goes; Piaf; Sunset Boulevard (in London and on Broadway); The King and I; and Sweeney Todd (New York City Opera). She has worked twice with Sir Peter Hall's Theatre Company in The Misanthrope and Feydeau's Where There's A Will.

Elaine has performed in concert worldwide from The White House to The Great Hall of the People in Beijing and from the Bolshoi to the Sydney Opera House. She has appeared in television roles including her own TV specials and Royal Variety Shows. She has recorded 20 solo albums (four multi-Platinum and eight consecutive Gold), and 6 cast albums. She has been honored with a number of awards, including Society of West End Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Variety Club Award for Show Business Personality of the year (1978); Variety Club Awards for Musical Artiste (1986) and Best Actress (1995); Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (1994); HMV Lifetime Achievement Award (1996); Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (1999); Order of the British Empire for services to Musical Theatre (1995); Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (2004); and Variety Club Special Presentation for 40 Years on Stage (2009).

This year marks the sixth anniversary of the successful weekly BBC Radio 2 show "Elaine Paige on Sunday." The program, devoted to musical theatre and film music, entertains audiences of over 2 million listeners each week with its mix of music, competitions and interviews.

Recent television work has included Elaine appearing as herself in the BBC comedy "Beautiful People;" the role of Dora Bunner in "A Murder is Announced" for Granada/WGBH, and a guest star role in "Where The Heart Is" for Granada Television.

In 2005 she toured Australia, New Zealand, and the Far East, followed by a tour of Scandinavia, the U.K., China and a concert at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre. Elaine returned to the West End stage in 2007 in the title role of The Drowsy Chaperone at the Novello Theatre, London, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical in What's On Stage Awards, London. September 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of Elaine's West End debut and was celebrated with a book, Memories, and a sold-out international concert, including Scandinavia, China, the U.K. and Ireland and continued in 2009 across Australia and New Zealand.

November 2010 saw the release of Elaine's album, Elaine Paige & Friends. Recorded in New York with legendary producer Phil Ramone, it features duets with 14 of her favorite musical performers, including Paul Anka, John Barrowman, Michael Bolton, Kenny G, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Idina Menzel, Olivia Newton-John, Billy Ocean, Sinead O'Connor, LeAnn Rimes, Jon Secada, Neil Sedaka and Dionne Warwick. The album was awarded a Gold disc by the end of the year.

In 2011, Elaine returned to the concert stage with a new show featuring a selection of her favorite standards, her greatest hits and some of the modern classics from her album. Following this tour, Elaine departed for the U.S. to play Carlotta in the Washington Kennedy Center production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies.

The McCallum Theatre presents Elaine Paige on Wednesday, February 27 at 8:00pm. Tickets are available at www.mccallumtheatre.com, or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787.

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