Broadway Star Ken Page, Voice of “Nightmare Before Christmas”' Oogie Boogie, Dies at 70

The Broadway actor was known for his roles in musicals like 'The Wiz,' 'Cats' and 'Guys and Dolls'

Ken Page, the Broadway actor and voice actor known for his roles in the musicals Cats and The Wiz, has died. He was 70.

PEOPLE confirmed news of Page's death on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Page was born and raised in St. Louis. He arrived on Broadway in 1975 when he joined the cast of The Wiz musical as the show's Lion, paving way for a career on the stage in New York that lasted more than two decades. Between 1975 and 1999, Page also appeared on stage in productions like Guys and Dolls, Ain't Misbehavin', Cats — in which he originated the role of Old Deuteronomy — and It Ain't Nothing But the Blues. He won the Drama Desk award for outstanding actor in a musical in 1978 for his performance in Ain't Misbehavin', per his profile on Playbill.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

Page also carved out a notable career on the screen during and after his onstage career. He is most fondly remembered as the voice of The Nightmare Before Christmas character Oogie Boogie, a role he reprised multiple times in video games, video series and even a live performance of the celebrated 1993 animated film held at the Hollywood Bowl in 2018.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The actor's other notable film roles included a role in 2006's Showgirls, 1988's Torch Song Trilogy and 1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven. He also reprised his Cats role as Old Deuteronomy in the 1998 movie adaptation directed by David Mallet.

According to Broadway World and Playbill, Page created a cabaret-style show titled Page by Page that he toured around the country with in recent years. He also primarily worked as a director for regional and touring productions. He frequently worked with The Muny, the St. Louis theatrical association where he got his start before initially moving to New York, as well.

"I’m still stunned by last night’s terrible news. Ken Page died suddenly," Danny Elfman, the musician and composer who performed with Page as the singing voice of Jack Skellington and composed The Nightmare Before Christmas' music, wrote on X on Tuesday morning.

"He was the one and only Oogie Boogie Man. He was simply one of the best, most generous souls I know," Elfman, 71, wrote. "Full of life and overflowing with joy. Talented and then some. Ken, my friend, you will be deeply missed."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.