Ken Page, the Broadway actor whose extensive career included standout roles in “The Wiz” and “Cats,” but whose rich baritone voice reached a wider audience as Oogie Boogie in the perennial hit movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” died on Monday at his home in St. Louis. He was 70.
His death was confirmed by his longtime friend Dorian Hannaway on Tuesday. She did not cite a cause.
Mr. Page, a St. Louis native, burst onto the New York theater scene in 1975 as a replacement actor for the Lion in “The Wiz,” but it was his showstopping rendition of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the “Guys and Dolls” revival the next year that first drew acclaim.
“Sometimes it really does happen. Sometimes the fairy tale comes true,” The New York Times wrote in 1976. “It happened on Wednesday night at the Broadway Theater to a young unknown, Ken Page.”
He was in the original Broadway productions of “Cats,” as the dignified Old Deuteronomy, and “Ain’t Misbehavin,’” among many other theater credits. Offstage, he was probably best known for voicing the infamous boogeyman in Henry Selick and Tim Burton’s 1993 stop motion classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Oogie Boogie. It was a role that Mr. Page would revisit often in video games and Halloween celebrations.
According to a statement released by his agent, Mr. Page was preparing for upcoming appearances as Oogie Boogie when he died.
Ms. Hannaway said Mr. Page loved playing Oogie Boogie. Visitors can still hear his voice booming from speakers at the Haunted House and California Adventure in theme parks that are now decorated for Halloween.
He also co-starred with Beyoncé in “Dreamgirls,” as Max Washington. His other film credits include “Torch Song Trilogy” and “All Dogs Go to Heaven.”
He won several accolades in his lifetime, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the St. Louis Arts Center, the Project One — Black Theatre Conference, and, in 2023, the NYC Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC).
Kenneth Page was born on Jan. 20, 1954, in St. Louis.
He studied theater at Fontbonne College instead of voice because, as he told The Times in 1984, “though I admire the discipline and commitment it takes to sing classical, I didn’t feel anything for it, so I started to explore my voice in pop ways.”
His mother, Gloria, who survives him, listened to rock ‘n’ roll when he was a child.
“I grew up hearing Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and Nat Cole. As a teenager, I loved Motown,” he said, adding that at the time the records he liked most “are those that aren’t so overly pasteurized by the studio that they lose a feeling of energy.”
Mr. Page, speaking to the paper ahead of a showcase performance, said: “I consider Tina Turner to be the godmother of rock and soul. I’d love to be able to create that kind of excitement. I also like Lionel Richie, who’s very polished, but still energetic. Where I want to go is somewhere between the two.”
His career began at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, known as The Muny. He appeared in more than 45 shows at the theater, most recently as the Bishop of Digne in their 2024 production of “Les Misérables.”
“Since 2013, he served as ‘The Voice of The Muny,’ his singular baritone welcoming audience members before each performance,” according to a statement from The Muny.
Alec Baldwin, who met Mr. Page in 1983, said in a statement that the actor was “the rare combination, one of the nicest and among the most talented people I have ever met.”
”We stayed in close touch always — he just texted me last week sending me sunshine and good vibes,” he said. “He sent me pictures of his garden and his flowers.”
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