ONE Broadway Veteran and voice of one of the most beloved characters in animation history has died.
Ken Page was already a theater pillar in 1993, when he voiced the character Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Although Page has given many wonderful performances, his turn as Oogie Boogie will likely be the one he will be best remembered for, at least by film fans.
Sadly, Page died on Monday. According to TMZhe “passed away ‘very peacefully’ at his home in St. Louis.” He was 70 years old.
In response to Page’s passing, composer Danny Elfman — who created the songs in Nightmare before Christmas and provided the voice of Jack Skellington – wrote on Twitter “I’m still shocked by the terrible news last night.”
“He was the one and only Oogie Boogie Man. He was simply one of the best, most generous souls I know. Full of life and overflowing with joy.”
READ MORE: Nightmare before Christmas Fans will love this
Although Oogie Boogie was Page’s most prominent on-screen role, he was well known among theater lovers for his dynamic stage performances and impeccable singing voice. In 1982, he was the first actor to play Old Deuteronomy in the Broadway version of Cats. He reprized his role in the filmed version of the Broadway show in 1998, so if you watched this video a lot as a kid, Page was your Old Deuteronomy.
Page’s other notable Broadway roles included the Lion in the first Broadway production of The Sorcererand Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1976 revival of Faces and dolls. He was also part of the first Broadway cast of I’m not behaving badly. On screen, he also appeared in All dogs go to heaven and Dream girls.
Even with his impressive resume, Oogie Boogie will likely remain Page’s most lasting legacy. In addition to Nightmare before Christmas film itself, Page reprized the role of Oogie Boogie in several video games, including several entries in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, and has also voiced the character in Disney theme parks – where annual Halloween celebrations still include appearances by Oogie Boogie. People love this character – and Page’s incredible performance is a big reason why. He will be greatly missed.
12 things we miss about modern cinemas
While we still love movie theaters, they have changed over the years. And not always for the better.
