Ken Page
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 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (April 2018) |
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Ken Page | |
|---|---|
 Ken Page at the 2017 Florida SuperCon | |
| Background information | |
| Born | January 20, 1954 St. Louis, Missouri, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | cabaret singer, actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
Ken Page (born January 20, 1954) is an American cabaret singer and actor. Page is best known as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the main antagonist of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, creating the eponymous role of "Ken" in the original Broadway production of Ain't Misbehavin', King Gator from Don Bluth's All Dogs Go To Heaven, and playing the role of "Old Deuteronomy" in both the original Broadway and filmed stage productions of Cats, the Musical.
Early and personal life
Page was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Bishop DuBourg High School and Fontbonne College.[citation needed] In a 2015 interview with St. Louis Magazine, Page stated that he identifies as gay. [1]
Career
Page began his career in the chorus of The Muny outdoor theater in St. Louis. After making his Broadway debut in The Wiz, Page played Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the all-black revival of Guys and Dolls (Theatre World Award). He was then featured in the original cast of the Fats Waller musical revue, Ain't Misbehavin' (Drama Desk Award), a role he reprised in the 1982 television broadcast. He also returned to the show in its 1988 Broadway revival. In 1982, he played Old Deuteronomy in Cats, returning to the part in the 1998 video release. He also has the distinction of playing God twice: in Randy Newman's Faust at La Jolla Playhouse and Goodman Theatre and in Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden (West End). Page frequently acts in shows at The Muny, with recent appearances including Jesus Christ Superstar, Aida, The Wizard of Oz, Les Misérables, My One and Only, and Little Shop of Horrors.
Besides The Nightmare Before Christmas, Page's major film credits include All Dogs Go to Heaven and Torch Song Trilogy, as well as Dreamgirls. His TV credits include guest roles on shows such as Charmed and Touched by an Angel, as well as various movies and specials.
In recent years, Page has developed and performed his cabaret-singer show, Page by Page, and directed various regional and touring productions. Page's most recent role was the voice of the notorious talking plant Audrey II in the Muny's production of Little Shop of Horrors. He also recently reprising the role of "Old Deuteronomy" in the Moonlight Theater production of Cats in Lubbock, TX.[citation needed]
He regularly reprises his role as Oogie Boogie in several other Disney productions such as the fireworks display HalloWishes at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, its sister show, Halloween Screams at Disneyland, the Haunted Mansion Holiday (also at Disneyland), the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular (at Magic Kingdom) and subsequent video games including The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge and the Kingdom Hearts series.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Torch Song Trilogy | Murray |
| 1989 | All Dogs Go to Heaven | King Gator (voice) |
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | Oogie Boogie (voice) |
| 1994 | I'll Do Anything | Hair Person |
| 1998 | Cats | Old Deuteronomy |
| 2004 | The Devil and Daniel Webster | Clerk |
| 2006 | Dreamgirls | Max Washington |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Gimme a Break! | Kenneth Wilson | Episode: "Class of '84" |
| 1987–1988 | Sable | Joe "Cheesecake" Tyson | Episodes: "Toy Gun" "Hunt" "Evangelist" "Serial Killer" "Copycat" "Watchdogs" "Mob" |
| 1989 | Polly | Mayor Warren | |
| Teen Angel Returns | Chubby | ||
| 1990 | Family Matters | Darnell Watkins | Episode: "The Big Reunion" |
| Capital News | Episode: "Finished? Not Dunne" | ||
| Polly: Comin' Home! | Mayor Warren | TV movie | |
| 1993–1994 | Adventures in Wonderland | The Walrus | Episodes: "I Am The Walrus" "Weed Shall Overcome" "To Tear is Human" "Give Ants a Chance" "Purple Potato Eaters" "Those Tusks, Those Eyes" |
| 1994 | Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man | Episode: "American Dicks" | |
| South Central | Dr. Raymond McHenry | Episodes: "RTD" "Men" "Date" | |
| 1995 | Touched by an Angel | Ox | Episode: "There But for the Grace of God" |
| 1998–2005 | Great Performances | Old Deuteronomy | Episodes: "Cats" "Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of the Tony Awards" |
| 2000 | Welcome to New York | Chef Andre | Episode: "Tickets" |
| 2007 | State of Mind | Florian |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Kingdom Hearts | Oogie Boogie (voice) | |
| 2004 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge | ||
| 2005 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King | ||
| 2006 | Kingdom Hearts II | ||
| 2007 | Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+ | ||
| 2013 | Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix | Archive footage | |
| 2014 | Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix | Archive footage |
Theatre
Broadway
- 1975: The Wiz as Lion
- 1976: Guys and Dolls as Nicely-Nicely Johnson
- 1978: Ain't Misbehavin' as Ken
- 1982: Cats as Old Deuteronomy
- 1988: Ain't Misbehavin' as Ken
- 1999: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues as Performer
Off Broadway
- 1981: Louis as Joe "King" Olivor
- 1995: Call Me Madam as Senator Gallagher
- 1995: Out of this World as Jupiter
- 1998: The Wizard of Oz as Cowardly Lion
- 2002: The Pajama Game as Mr. Hassler
Regional
- 2003: How the Grinch Stole Christmas as Old Max
- 2004: Breakfast at Tiffany's as Joe Bell
- 2006: Aida as Amonasro:
- 2014: "Cats" as Old Deuteronomy"
The Muny-St. Louis
- 1994: "Ain't Misbehavin'" as Ken
- 1995: "Camelot" as King Pellinore
- 1996: "Sleeping Beauty" voice of Wendell
- 1997: "The Wizard of Oz" as Zeke/Lion
- 1998: "Radio City Rockettes MUNY Spectacular" Ensemble
- 1998: "Damn Yankees" as Mgr. Van Buren
- 1999: "Grease" as Teen Angel
- 2001: "My Fair Lady" as Colonel Pickering
- 2002: "The Fantasticks" as Bellomy
- 2004: "Cats" as Old Deuteronomy
- 2004: "Breakfast At Tiffany's" as Joe
- 2005: "Jesus Christ Superstar" as King Herod
- 2005: "Beauty and the Beast" as Maurice/Narrator
- 2006: "The Wizard of Oz" as Professor Marvel/The Wizard
- 2006: "Oliver!" as Mr. Bumble
- 2006: "Aida" as Amonasro
- 2007: "Les Miserables" as Thenardier
- 2008: "My One and Only" as Rt. Rev. J.D. Montgomery
- 2008: "90 Years of Muny Magic" as Principal
- 2010: "Cats" as Old Deuteronomy
- 2010: "Beauty and the Beast" as Maurice/Narrator
- 2011: "The Little Mermaid" as King Triton
- 2011: "Little Shop of Horrors" voice of Audrey II
- 2012: "Dreamgirls" as Marty
- 2012: "Aladdin" as Sultan
- 2013: "West Side Story" as Doc
- 2014: "Tarzan, the Broadway musical" as Porter
- 2015: "Into The Woods" as Narrator
- 2016: "Aida (musical)" as Amonasro
Other
- 1979: Ain't Misbehavin' as Performer 4 (US Tour)
- 1991: Children of Eden as Father/God (West End)
Soundtrack
| Year | Artist / Writer | Song | Role | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Charles Strouse & T.J. Kuenster | "Let's Make Music Together | King Gator | All Dogs Go to Heaven |
| 1993 | Danny Elfman | "Oogie Boogie's Song" | Oogie Boogie | The Nightmare Before Christmas |
| 1997 | Charles Strouse & T.J. Kuenster | "Let's Make Music Together" | King Gator | MGM Sing-Alongs: Being Happy |
| 1998 | Andrew Lloyd Webber & T.S. Eliot | "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" "Old Deuteronomy" "The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" "The Jellicle Ball" "The Moments of Happiness" "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" "The Ad-dressing of Cats" |
Old Deuteronomy | Cats |
| 2004 | Danny Elfman | "Oogie's Song" "Casino Clash" "A Filthy Finale" |
Oogie Boogie | The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Play | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Theatre World Award | Best Actor | Ain't Misbehavin | Won |
| 1978 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Guys and Dolls | Won |
References
- ^ Cooperman, Jeannette (12 September 2012). "Kenny Cool: Broadway Actor Ken Page Talks About Joy, Celebrity, and Coming Home Again". St. Louis Magazine. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
External links
- Ken Page at IMDb
- Ken Page at the Internet Broadway Database
- Ken Page at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- African-American male actors
- African-American singers
- American male film actors
- American male singers
- American male stage actors
- American male video game actors
- American male voice actors
- Cabaret singers
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Living people
- Male actors from St. Louis
- Singers from Missouri
- American male musical theatre actors
- Gay actors
- LGBT people from Missouri
- LGBT entertainers from the United States