NEW YORK – Ken Page, the acclaimed stage and screen actor renowned for his performances alongside Beyoncé in Dreamgirls, his memorable portrayal of Old Deuteronomy in Cats, and his iconic voice work as Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, has passed away at the age of 70. The announcement of his death was made on Tuesday by talent agent Todd M. Eskin from ATB Talent Agency, though details surrounding his passing have not been disclosed.
Writer-producer Tim Burton expressed his sorrow on X, stating, “He 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.”
Page made his Broadway debut in The Wiz, where he portrayed the Cowardly Lion, before going on to play Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, sharing the stage with Robert Guillaume. He was also part of the original cast of the Fats Waller musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, for which he received a Drama Desk Award, and he reprised his role when the show returned to Broadway in 1988.
He originated the role of the wise Old Deuteronomy when Cats premiered on Broadway in 1982, participating in a historic run that featured his performances of “Old Deuteronomy,” “The Moments of Happiness,” and “The Ad-Dressing of Cats.”
Elaine Paige, who created the role of Grizabella in Cats and reprised it in the 1998 film adaptation, paid tribute to Page on X, remarking that he “has gone to the heaviside layer” and describing him as a “lovely, kind, talented man.”
In 2010, Ken Page returned to the role of Old Deuteronomy at the Muny in St. Louis, where a critic praised him as “a looming gentle presence” who fully embraced the character of the feline spirit guide, suggesting that his performance could even inspire one to consider bowing to a cat.
Perhaps most famously, Page left an indelible mark as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the burlap sack filled with bugs, in Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Oogie Boogie’s ambition was to become the Seven Holidays King by kidnapping the leaders of various holidays, and he famously sang, “It’s hopeless/you’re finished/You haven’t got a prayer/’Cause I’m Mr. Oogie Boogie/And you ain’t going nowhere” to Santa Claus.
Page reprised his role as Oogie Boogie in various video games and during the film’s 30th-anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023. He also lent his voice to King Gator in Disney’s All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).
His filmography includes notable performances in Torch Song Trilogy (1988), where he portrayed the witty drag queen Murray, and in Dreamgirls (2006), where he played Max Washington. His television credits span several beloved series, including Family Matters, Touched by an Angel, and Charmed.
