Ken Page, the Broadway veteran who provided the voice of the hideous villain Oogie Boogie in the Tim Burton-produced film The nightmare before Christmasdied Monday at his home in St. Louis, his representatives said. He was 70.

In his Broadway debut, Page stepped in as a replacement to play the Lion in the original 1975-79 production of The Wiz.

The baritone also played the role of Old Deuteronomy in the 1982 original production of Cats; starred in the original 1978-82 Broadway production of Fats Waller’s I don’t miss me; and played Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the all-black revival of 1976-77 Boys and dollsa turn that won him a Theater World Award.

Page was memorable as Oogie Boogie, the bug-filled Boogeyman, in The nightmare before Christmas (1993), directed by Henry Selick.

In a 2022 interview, he said producers were looking for “someone who was Cab Calloway-esque, Fats Waller-esque.” He added that he saw the character as “somewhere between the voice of the demon.” The exorcist and the cowardly lion in it The Wizard of Oz.”

He later voiced Oogie Boogie in video games and on Disney theme park attractions.

Kenneth Page was born on January 20, 1954 in St. Louis, where he attended Bishop DuBourg High School. He then studied theater at Fontbonne College in Clayton, Missouri.

He played Joe “Cheesecake” Tyson on the 1987-1988 ABC series Saber.

His resume also included the films Torch Song Trilogy (1988), All dogs go to heaven (1989) – as the voice of King Gator – I will do anything (1994) and Dream girls (2006) and guest spots on shows like Charmed And Touched by an angel.

More recently, Page developed and starred in a cabaret show, Page by page.