Ken Page, Original Old Deuteronomy in Cats, Dies at 70

Broadway actor Ken Page has died at the age of 70. The news was first announced on Facebook by his friend Dorian Hannaway.

Page is best known for originating the role of Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway production of Cats, a performance that can still be seen in the 1998 video release. He also gave voice to the Oogie Boogie Man in the Nightmare Before Christmas franchise, resurrecting the performance for various spinoffs and video games.

He made his Broadway debut in the original production of The Wiz, stepping into the role of the Cowardly Lion. He followed that performance with a turn as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 1976 revival of Guys and Dolls, which featured an all-Black cast. He won a 1978 Drama Desk Award for his performance in Ain’t Misbehavin’, a show he would return to for the revival a decade later. His last Broadway appearance was in 1999’s It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Page began his stage career at the Muny, that city’s massive outdoor stage. He returned to the Muny frequently, most recently to play the Bishop of Digne in Les Misérables and Joe in Waitress this past summer.