Ken Page, voice of Oogie Boogie, dies at age 70

NEW YORK (AP) — Ken Page, a stage and screen actor who starred alongside him Beyoncé in “Dream Girls” introduced Broadway audiences to ancient Deuteronomy “cats” and shocked generations of children when the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain of the 1993 animated Christmas film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” died. He was 70.

Talent agent Todd M. Eskin of ATB Talent Agency announced the death to The Associated Press on Tuesday, but details were not immediately available.

“He was simply one of the best and most generous people I know. Full of life and full of joy. Talented and more. “Ken, my friend, you will be missed,” wrote writer and producer Tim Burton on X.

Page made his Broadway debut in The Wiz, where he played the Cowardly Lion, and then played the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls opposite Robert Guillaume. He was also in the original cast of the Fats Waller musical “Ain't Misbehavin,” winning a Drama Desk Award and was on board when the musical returned to Broadway in 1988.

Page originated the role of the wise Old Deuteronomy when “Cats” landed on Broadway in 1982 and enjoyed a then-record success singing “Old Deuteronomy,” “The Moments of Happiness” and “The Ad-Dressing of Cats.”

Elaine Paige, who originated the role of Grizabella in “Cats” and reprized the role in the 1998 “Cats” film adaptation, paid tribute to her co-star in “He was a lovely, kind and talented man.”

In 2010, Page revisited Old Deuteronomy at the Muny – St. Louis' municipal theater association – and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch critic said, “Page, a menacing gentle presence, takes on the role of feline spirit guide.” Stop,” adding, “Maybe no one will bow to a cat while intoning 'OH CAT,' but Page can at least make you think about it.”

Page perhaps made the deepest impression as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the burlap sack in which hundreds of beetles crawl, in Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was his character's hope to become the Seven Holiday King by hijacking the holiday leader for the other holidays. “It's hopeless/You're done/You got no prayer/'Cause I'm Mr. Oogie Boogie/And you're not going anywhere,” he sang to Santa.

He then reprized the role of Oogie Boogie, including in video games and at the film's 30th anniversary concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023. He also portrayed King Gator in Disney's 1989 animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven .

His other films include 1988's “Torch Song Trilogy,” in which he played the hilarious drag queen Murray, and 2006's “Dreamgirls,” in which he played Max Washington. His TV credits include “Family Matters,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Charmed.”