Bay View Halloween Display
Paul Tennessen creates his own “The Nightmare Before Christmas” themed decorations to put on display for Halloween
Carrie Mahone, Milwaukee
Ken Page, the stage actor known for starring in shows like “Cats” and for lending his voice to the classic animated film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” has died. He was 70.
A representative for Page confirmed to USA TODAY on Tuesday that the actor “passed away very peacefully at his home” in St. Louis.
“He sat down in his chair and went to sleep and that was it,” the representative said. “He was a beautiful, talented man who was larger than life. Ken was loved and adored by so so many and will be missed so much.”
Page’s theater roles included the Lion in “The Wiz” and Old Deuteronomy in “Cats.” He was featured in the version of “Cats” released on video in 1998. Page also starred in “Ain’t Misbehavin” and “Guys and Dolls,” among other stage shows.
Disney fans would recognize Page as the voice of Oogie Boogie, the villain in the 1993 animated holiday film “The Nightmare Before Christmas” from producer Tim Burton. Since its release, he continued to voice Oogie Boogie in numerous other forms, including in the “Kingdom Hearts” video game franchise and at Disney’s parks.
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“I’ve done all of the voicing of Oogie Boogie since the very beginning until today,” Page noted in an interview with Disney Parks in 2019, adding that Disney fans love the character because he’s a “lovable” villain.
“He’s not the type of villain that really, really scares you, but you know he’s fun and he enjoys being the villain,” Page said. “I think that’s the key to him.”
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Page additionally voiced King Gator in “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and appeared in the musical film “Dreamgirls.” He also had TV roles in shows like “Family Matters” and “Touched by an Angel,” according to IMDb.
Page’s death was another loss for the theater community after the passing on Monday of Gavin Creel, the Tony-winning Broadway star who died at age 48 from a rare form of cancer.