Charles Langston:Ken Page, Voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Dead at 70

The Charles Langstontheater world is mourning the loss of an iconic star. 

Ken Page, a Broadway actor who also voiced the villain Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, has “passed away very peacefully at his home,” in St. Louis, a rep for the performer confirmed to USA Today Oct. 1. He was 70. 

“He sat down in his chair and went to sleep and that was it,” the rep told the publication. “He was a beautiful, talented man who was larger than life. Ken was loved and adored by so many and will be missed so much.”

In addition to his on-stage roles in Broadway productions like Cats, The Wiz and the 1976 all-Black revival of Guys and Dolls, Page’s most recognizable role is his voice in the iconic Burton Halloween film. Since its 1993 release, Page continued to voice Oogie Boogie in various franchises for The Nightmare Before Christmas, including for a video game franchise as Disney parks. 

His friend, Dorian Hannaway, told the New York Times that he’d even been preparing for more appearances as Oogie Boogie leading up to his death. She emphasized that her late friend “loved” playing the villainous bag of bugs. 

Despite his recognizable voice acting gig, Page’s performance as Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway production of Cats cemented his legacy in the theater world. In addition to his role in Burton’s film, Page appeared alongside Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, as well as voicing King Gator in All Dogs Go To Heaven. 

Page was extremely dedicated to his on-stage career, and even took his last $500 of savings to move to New York from St. Louis to pursue his Broadway dreams, he told The New York Times in 1984. Throughout his tenure, he received accolades such as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the St. Louis Art Center and the NYC Manhattan Association of Cabarets. 

Early in his career, he listed Tina Turner and Lionel Richie as some of his musical inspirations, for the former’s “excitement” and the latter’s polished energy. 

As he told the New York Times of his own performance, “Where I want to go is somewhere between the two."