NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Ken Page, a stage and screen actor who starred alongside introduced Broadway audiences to Old Deuteronomy in and scared generations of kids as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated holiday film 鈥漈he Nightmare Before Christmas,鈥� 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.
鈥淗e 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,鈥� writer-producer Tim Burton wrote on X.
Page made his Broadway debut in 鈥淭he Wiz,鈥� playing the Cowardly Lion, and went on to portray Nicely-Nicely Johnson in 鈥淕uys and Dolls鈥� with Robert Guillaume. He also was featured in the original cast of the Fats Waller musical Ain鈥檛 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 鈥淐补迟蝉鈥� landed on Broadway in 1982 and went on to a then-record run, singing 鈥淥ld Deuteronomy,鈥� 鈥淭he Moments of Happiness鈥� and 鈥淭he Ad-Dressing of Cats.鈥�
Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella in 鈥淐补迟蝉鈥� and reprised the role in the 1998 鈥淐补迟蝉鈥� film version, paid tribute to her co-star on X, saying Page 鈥渉as gone to the heaviside layer" and adding, "He was a lovely, kind, talented man.鈥�
In 2010, Page revisited the Old Deuteronomy at the Muny 鈥� the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis 鈥� 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, 鈥淢aybe nobody鈥檚 going to bow to a kitty while intoning 鈥極H CAT,鈥� but Page can make you at least consider it.鈥�
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 鈥漈he Nightmare Before Christmas.鈥� It was his character's hope to become the Seven Holidays King by kidnapping the Holiday Leaders for the other holidays. "鈥淚t鈥檚 hopeless/you鈥檙e finished/You haven鈥檛 got a prayer/鈥機ause I鈥檓 Mr. Oogie Boogie/And you ain鈥檛 going nowhere,鈥� 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鈥檚 1989 animated film 鈥淎ll Dogs Go to Heaven.鈥�
His other movie credits include 1988鈥檚 鈥淭orch Song Trilogy,鈥� in which he played the witty drag queen Murray, and 2006鈥檚 鈥淒reamgirls,鈥� in which he played Max Washington. His TV credits include 鈥淔amily Matters,鈥� 鈥淭ouched by an Angel鈥� and 鈥淐harmed.鈥�
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
