Broadway and Cats star Ken Page dies age 70 as friends pay tribute to ‘one of the most talented guys on planet’
LEGENDARY Broadway star Ken Page has died at the age of 70.
The renowned actor was best known for starring in the musicals Cats and The Wiz.
His death was announced by his friend Dorian Hannaway, a producer, on Facebook.
Tributes have been paid to the actor following his sudden death.
Shari Belafonte, the American actress, described Page as “one of the sweetest, most talented guys on the planet.”
“It feels like it’s coming just a bit too fast and a tad too furiously now,” she posted on Facebook.
“And, I couldn’t believe it… but it’s true. It feels like it’s coming just a bit too fast and a tad too furiously now…”
During his career which spanned more than 50 years, Page played the Lion in the musical The Wiz.
He also appeared in the revival of Guys and Dolls and played Old Deuteronomy in Cats in 1982.
Page also appeared in TV shows and movies.
He voiced the character Oogie Boogie in the 1993 Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Fans remembered the actor’s role in the film as they paid tribute to him.
“Heartbreaking news about Ken Page’s passing,” one mourner said.
“His voice of Oogie Boogie will forever be engraved in my head.”
“Rest in peace to Ken Page who voiced Oogie Boogie in one of my favorite Halloween movies,” another fan said.
“You provided the voice for one of my favorite villains, Oogie Boogie, in “Nightmare Before Christmas,” a devastated movie buff said.
Mourners described Page as the “voice of their childhood” in touching social media tributes.
Just weeks before his death, Page opened up about what it was like to meet his fans at the Creep it Real convention held in Orange County, California.
“For many years, people have been experiencing the voice, but they don’t necessarily know who the person is so to actually meet people and connect with me as a person is a special thing,” he said.
Page also starred in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which also featured Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, and Eddie Murphy.
And he was a TV star, appearing in the 1980s series Gimme a Break! and seven episodes of the drama series Sable between 1987 and 1988.