Ken Page, the Broadway baritone known for legendary musicals such as “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “Cats” — and later lending his voice to the classic animated film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” — has died at age 70.
“Ken Page has passed onto the next show. My heart is broken,” friend Dorian Hannaway wrote on Facebook late Monday night.
A representative for the actor confirmed his death to USA TODAY on Tuesday, saying Page “passed away very peacefully at his home” in St. Louis.
“He sat down in his chair and went to sleep and that was it,” the representative said. “He was a beautiful, talented man who was larger than life. Ken was loved and adored by so so many and will be missed so much.”
Page, who won acclaim for his performance as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1976 Broadway revival of “Guys and Dolls,” also starred as the Cowardly Lion in the original groundbreaking production of “The Wiz.”
He went on to star as Old Deuteronomy in the original 1982 Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Cats.”
His other theater credits include the original company of “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” for which he won the Theatre World Award for Best Actor.
In the following years, Page gained a new fan base as the voice of King Gator in Disney’s 1989 animated movie “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and as most famously as Oogie Boogie, the villain in Tim Burton’s 1993 film “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” He would also bring that character to life at Disney Parks and anniversary events, along with in the video game “Kingdom Hearts.”
On the big screen, the St. Louis native played a drag queen in 1988’s “Torch Song Trilogy,” and made a cameo in the 2006 film adaptation of “Dreamgirls.” Appearances in “Family Matters,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Charmed” were among his TV credits.
In recent years, he performed in the cabaret shows “Page by Page,” “Right Here, Right Now” and “The Heart of a Man,” at venues such as New York City’s Birdland jazz club.
“He was simply one of the best, most generous souls I know,” film composer Danny Elfman, who wrote the songs and score for “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” shared in an Instagram post Tuesday. “Full of life and overflowing with joy. Talented and then some. Ken, my friend, you will be deeply missed.”
