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Ken Page, whose Broadway resume included original roles in some of the most important productions in musical theater history, died Monday. He was 70 years old.
Paige’s death was announced by friends, including Dorian Hannaway. facebook“Ken Page has gone on to the next show. My heart is broken.” She went on to report that he “passed away peacefully and peacefully at home.”
Actress Shari Belafonte Posted“Ken Page One of the kindest, most talented men on the planet…I couldn’t believe it…but it’s true. Now it feels a little too fast, a little too ferocious…James Earl, Dame Maggie, Chris, Pete Rose, Dikembe, Officer Taggart/John Ashton, Drake H…and now Heaven is packed with incredible talent to fly from first class charters.”
Page’s death is sure to rock the Broadway community on the same day as Tony Award winner Gavin Creel, who died earlier in the day and was met with an outpouring of grief.
Gavin Creel, Tony Award winner for ‘Hello Dolly!’, dies at age 48 after battling cancer
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Born on January 20, 1954 in St. Louis, Page made the most auspicious Broadway debut imaginable as the Lion in the 1975 hit The Wiz. He also played Nicely Nicely Johnson in the 1976 revival of Guys and Dolls, appeared in the sensational Ain’t Misbehavin’ (1978 and 1988), and starred in Cats (1982). He returned in 1999 to play Old Deuteronomy. In the case of “It Ain’t Nothing But the Blues.”
He also had an extensive career in off-Broadway and regional theater, working extensively at the Muny St. Paul Theatre. Lewis. He was a cabaret actor whose show “Page by Page” was critically acclaimed, and later in his career he branched out into directing.
Film credits include Torch Song Trilogy (1988) and Dreamgirls (2006), as well as King Gator in All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). He provided the memorable voice of Oogie Boogie in 2010. .
She made her television debut on “Gimme a Break!” opposite her “Ain’t Misbehavin” co-star Nell Carter. (1984), was a regular on the short-lived series “Sable” (1987-1988), and appeared in the series “Family Matters” (1990), “South Central” (1994), and “Touched by an Angel.” He also appeared in ‘. (1995). From 1993 to 1994, he played the role of Walrus in the live-action series Adventures in Wonderland.
He leaves behind many friends and fans.
