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English singer, and actress (born 1948)

Elaine Jill Paige (; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16. Her appearance in the 1968 production of Hair marked her West End debut. Following a number of roles over the next decade, Paige was selected to play Eva Perón in the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public. For this role, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a musical. She originated the role of Grizabella in Cats and had a Top 10 hit with "Memory", a song from the show. In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess, which remains the biggest selling record by a female duo. She then appeared in the original stage production of Chess, followed by a starring role in Anything Goes which she also co produced. Paige made her Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard in 1996, playing the lead role of Norma Desmond, to critical acclaim. She appeared in The King and I from 2000 to 2001, and six years later she returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. She has also worked sporadically in television. In addition to being nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards, Paige has won many other awards for her theatre roles and has been called the First Lady of British Musical Theatre due to her skill and longevity. She has released 22 solo albums, of which eight were consecutively certified gold and another four multi platinum. Paige is also featured on seven cast albums and has sung in concerts across the world. Since 2004 she has hosted her own show on BBC Radio 2 called Elaine Paige on Sunday. In 2014, Paige celebrated her 50 years in show business. Paige announced on her official website a "Farewell" concert tour and a new career spanning album The Ultimate Collection to mark this milestone in her career. Outside of her work in musical theatre, Paige is a vice president of The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury.

Elaine Jill Bickerstaff was born and raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, where her father Eric worked as an estate agent and her mother Irene was a milliner. Her mother had been a singer in her youth, and her father was an amateur drummer. Paige stands at just under 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, which she says has caused her to lose out on leading roles. Her original ambition was to become a professional tennis player, at which point her headmistress pointed out to her "they'd never see you over the net", but Paige continued to play tennis and has referred to the sport as one of her passions. At 14, Paige listened to the film soundtrack of West Side Story, which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre. Paige's musical ability was encouraged by her school music teacher, Ann Hill, which was followed by parts in The Boy Mozart and solos in Handel's Messiah She has said that she wanted to have children, but "it's a wonderful life I have, so I'm very fulfilled in other ways". Her drama school teacher encouraged her to change her name and audition again under the new name. Browsing through a phone book for inspiration, she became aware of the "page" she was observing and decided upon that name with the addition of an "i", becoming Elaine Paige. She was successful in the second audition as Elaine Paige, appearing on stage during the UK tour of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd in 1964, In 1968 she appeared on record as a member of the vocal group Colors of Love, who released three Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood penned singles, most notably "I'm a Train", on Larry Page's Page One label under the supervision of Alan Moorhouse. She was also part of the band Sparrow with fellow West End singer Diane Langton, releasing the album Hatching Out in 1972. At the age of 20, she made her West End debut in Hair on 27 September 1968, remaining in the cast until March 1970. While also being an understudy for the character of Sheila, she played a member of the tribe in the chorus, She also appeared as an urchin in the film Oliver! Over the next decade, she played roles in various musicals, including Jesus Christ Superstar; Nuts; Grease, in which she played the lead role of Sandy from 1973 to 1974; Billy, from 1974 to 1975 playing Rita; and The Boyfriend, as Maisie (1975–1976). After months of acting and singing auditions, Her performance won her critical acclaim and brought her into public prominence at the age of 30. She later said, "Bonnie was already a big name on Broadway. In a way, she didn't have anything to prove. She was smoothly, silkily professional. But I saw this as my big chance and, like Eva when she clapped eyes on Peron, I grabbed with both hands. I wanted the role more than anything else in the whole world." For her performance in Evita, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical, which at that time was called the Society of West End Theatre Award. She also won the Variety Club Award for Showbusiness Personality of the Year. She played the role for 20 months in total, from 1978 to 1980. She admitted that she was "fed up with the whole thing" and that she could not even afford new clothing or to eat out; "Evita saved me" she stated. In the 1980 ITV drama series Lady Killers, Paige played convicted murderer Kate Webster.

In 1981, in the Tales of the Unexpected episode "The Way to Do it", Paige plays Susie, a girl working in a small casino trying to keep guests happy and finally eloping with the main character. Paige went on to portray some of Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, creating the role of Grizabella in the original production of Cats from 11 May 1981 to 13 February 1982. She took on the role late in the rehearsal process when the actress Judi Dench had to withdraw due to a torn Achilles tendon. is her signature piece. The single reached number 6 in the UK charts and has since been recorded by a further 160 artists. She reprised the role of Grizabella for the video release of Cats in 1998, one of only two performers in the film from the original London cast; the other was Susan Jane Tanner as Jellylorum. The 1983 production of Abbacadabra, written by former ABBA members, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, saw Paige star in the role of Carabosse. She then originated the role of Florence for the 1984 concept album of Chess, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Ulvaeus and Andersson. Unreliable source: date=August 2018 Her albums, Stages (1983), and Cinema (1984), rejoined the cast recording of Chess in the UK top 40 chart, giving her three consecutive successful albums. and still remains the biggest selling record by a female duo, according to the Guinness Book of Records. From 1986 to 1987, Paige appeared as Florence in the stage production of Chess, She next sang at the White House in 1988. Playing Reno Sweeney was Paige's first experience using an American accent on stage, and the role earned her a third Olivier Award nomination. Beyond her theatre roles, she appeared in the television programme Unexplained Laughter in 1989 alongside Diana Rigg. She subsequently released an album, titled Piaf, containing Édith Piaf songs.

In 1995, Paige was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to musical theatre. Paige stepped briefly into the role of Norma Desmond in Lloyd Webber's West End production of Sunset Boulevard in 1994, when Betty Buckley was taken ill and had to undergo an emergency appendectomy. The nature of the situation meant that Paige only had two and a half weeks in the rehearsal process before her first performance. During the run of Sunset Boulevard at the West End's Adelphi Theatre in 1995, Paige discovered a lump in her breast, prompting her to consult her doctor, who at first reassured her there was nothing to be concerned about. She returned twice, and her doctor subsequently sent her for tests that confirmed the lump was cancerous, nine months after she discovered it. Continuing her role in the production Paige did not miss a show. On the Sunset Boulevard set in Broadway, the staircase steps had to be raised six inches (15 cm) in order to accommodate Paige's short stature, or it would have been hard to see her behind the banister. Paige was welcomed to the Broadway stage with a long standing ovation from the audience, and received largely positive reviews for her New York performance as Norma Desmond: "The lush sound and the sheer power of her voice are, to put it simply, incredible", wrote one critic, whilst another said "Her voice has great range, remarkable clarity and emotional force". Paige was the first Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard to sing one of the show's key songs, "With One Look", which she did first at Lloyd Webber's wedding to Madeleine Gurdon, although at the time the song was called "Just One Glance". Arts commentator Melvyn Bragg hosted a special edition of The South Bank Show about Paige's career in 1996, titled The Faces of Elaine Paige. The episode saw her visiting parts of the world where plays she had starred in had been set: the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina where Eva Perón had given speeches; the Parisian haunts of Edith Piaf including a meeting with her collaborator Charles Aznavour; and Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. The following year, she made a guest appearance at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall, performing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Memory" She then played Célimène in the non musical play The Misanthrope in 1998, but she admitted that she missed the musical element and that the silence was slightly unsettling to her. From 2000 to 2001, she starred as Anna Leonowens in a revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I at the London Palladium. although she did question her own suitability for the role. The critic for The Independent commented, "It may well be impossible to be a success as Evita and a success as Anna" complaining that Paige was not refined enough for the role, whereas The Spectator asserted that the role further strengthened her title as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre". During her time in The King and I, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Despite Paige wanting to pull out of the show, her mother insisted that she should continue until her contract had finished, In 2003, she played Angèle in Where There's a Will, directed by Peter Hall. earning positive reviews from critics, and a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Paige then embarked upon a UK tour which was titled "No Strings Attached". In September 2004, Paige began a weekly Sunday afternoon radio show, Elaine Paige on Sunday, The 400th edition was broadcast on Sunday 29 July 2012. In an unfavourable review, the show was described by Elisabeth Mahoney of The Guardian as "a chilly, alienating listening experience" and a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2. Lisa Martland of The Stage agreed that "it is by far the music that brings me back to the programme  and not her lightweight presenting style". However, the show regularly attracts 3 million listeners, Paige also focused on television appearances, playing Dora Bunner in the 2005 ITV adaptation of Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced in the Marple series, before performing a guest role as a post mistress in Where the Heart Is. The episode of Marple was watched by 7.78 million viewers. The release of Paige's first full studio album of new recordings in 12 years was marked in 2006, titled Essential Musicals. On 20 and 21 December 2006, she performed in concert in Shanghai, extending her concert tour to two dates to satisfy demand. In 2007, Paige made a return to the West End stage for the first time in six years, The production ran for a disappointing 96 performances, although it had opened to a standing ovation from the audience and a generally optimistic reaction from critics. The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Elaine Paige is a good sport  enduring jokes about her reputation for being 'difficult' with a grin that doesn't seem all that forced. Only the self importantly serious and the chronically depressed will fail to enjoy this preposterously entertaining evening". Paul Taylor from The Independent was less impressed and wrote "a miscast Elaine Paige manages to be unfunny to an almost ingenious degree as the heroine's bibulous minder". For her performance, Paige was nominated for a What's On Stage Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She next collaborated with the duo Secret Garden in recording the song "The Things You Are to Me" for their 2007 album, Inside I'm Singing. To raise money for Sport Relief, Paige danced the tango on Sport Relief does Strictly Come Dancing with Matt Dawson in March 2008, where they were voted second overall. In 2008, she opened the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and performed concerts in China, America and Australia featuring songs from her 40 year career. To further celebrate 40 years since her first performance on a West End Stage, in October 2008 Paige released a picture based autobiography titled Memories. The book took around eight months to compile; "Since Evita I suppose, I had kept a yearbook. My parents always kept cuttings and things like that for me. I did have quite a lot of reference material to work out," Paige commented. An album titled Elaine Paige and Friends was produced by Phil Ramone in 2010. The album features duets with Paige and artists such as Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow and Olivia Newton John as well as a duet with Sinéad O'Connor of a new song "It's Only Life" penned by Tim Rice and Gary Barlow. it went on to achieve gold status. Paige played the role of Carlotta Campion in the Kennedy Center production of Follies in May and June 2011 at the Eisenhower Theatre in Washington, DC, receiving favourable reviews for her performance of the showstopper, "I'm Still Here." The principal cast also comprised Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Ron Raines and Danny Burstein. She reprised this role in the Broadway transfer of the musical at the Marquis Theatre from August 2011 until the following January, before performing at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, California in May and June 2012.

At the end of 2013 Paige announced a concert tour, Page by Page by Paige, which focused on her 50th anniversary in show business and was advertised as a farewell tour. The 40th anniversary tour in 2008 marked 40 years since her debut on the West End stage, and the 50th anniversary tour in 2014 marked 50 years since her first stage performance. The tour featured Garðar Thór Cortes performing a number of songs, both solo and duets with Paige, and was sold out at all venues. The tour ran from 9 to 20 October 2014, concluding at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Other stops included Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle (Gateshead), Glasgow, Birmingham and Bournemouth. Due to a throat infection, one concert in Brighton had to be cancelled. Dates in Ireland were postponed before being rescheduled, with Paige giving four sold out concerts in Dublin (two evenings), Limerick and Cork between 10 and 16 February 2015. In 2014, Paige presented and performed in a six episode television show for Sky Arts television called The Elaine Paige Show. The show featured songs performed by Paige, masterclasses with drama college students and interviews and performances by West End and Broadway performers and writers. The show was recorded in March and April at Riverside Studios, London. She released a new career spanning album The Ultimate Collection in May 2014. In June, Paige made her debut at G A Y's Heaven nightclub in London and in November, she joined the inaugural Australian cruise of the performing arts on the
In May 2015 Paige was part of VE Day 70: A Party to Remember, a special concert which took place at the Horse Guards Parade, and was broadcast live on BBC1 and BBC Radio 2. Later in 2015 she performed in concert at Scarborough Open Air Theatre, supported by Collabro and Rhydian, and then headlined the Glamis Prom 2015 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, with Susan Boyle as her guest. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied at both concerts. In April 2016, it was announced that Paige would perform a number of concerts – on successive weekends rather than intensive schedule of a regular tour – entitled "Stripped Back". The tour initially ran from October until December 2016 and featured music by Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Leonard Cohen, Sting, Elton John and Lennon McCartney. Paige appeared in a new BBC adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Russell T Davies as part of the Shakespeare 400 celebrations in 2016. In 2017, she appeared in pantomime at the London Palladium as Queen Rat in Dick Whittington alongside Julian Clary, Nigel Havers, Paul Zerdin, Gary Wilmot, Charlie Stemp, Emma Williams, Ashley Banjo and Diversity. She returned for Pantoland at The Palladium in 2020, along with most of the 2017 cast as well as Beverley Knight. In 2018, Paige played the part of Mercy Hackett in the BBC TV comedy Home from Home. In 2020, she appeared in the BBC drama series Life with Alison Steadman and Peter Davison.

Having had so many starring roles in famous musicals, many to critical acclaim, Paige is often referred to as the First Lady of British Musical Theatre. Lloyd Webber insists that her rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" is one of the best interpretations of a song by him. Another editor found her "refreshingly down to earth" and "very friendly". She considers herself primarily an actress, rather than a singer,

Year Album title Label Notes 1970 Fresh Hair Polydor Original London Cast Recording 1974 Billy: Original Cast Recording CBS / Columbia 1978 The Barrier: A Love Story 1978 London Studio Cast Recording 1978 Evita: Original London Cast Recording MCA Records 1981 Cats: Original Cast Recording Really Useful Records / Polydor 1984 Chess Polar / Polydor A remastered version was released in 2014, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original album, featuring additional material not originally included, and alternate versions of tracks. 1989 Anything Goes: 1989 London Cast Recording First Night Records 1992 Nine TER 2000 The King and I: 2000 London Cast Recording WEA 2011 Follies: New Broadway Cast Recording 2011 Broadway Revival Cast Recording

Year Album title Notes 1972 Hatching Out With the group Sparrow; lead vocals on "Don't Ask", "Many Things Are Clear", "Dream Song", Rainsun Song" and "Hello Goodbye". The last track was not on the original LP, only on a 7" single. 1998 Songs from Whistle Down the Wind Recording of the song "If Only". 2000 Michael Ball – Christmas Duet on "As Long as There's Christmas", a cover of the song that had originally appeared in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. 2001 Andrew Lloyd Webber – Masterpiece Live recording of concert at the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China. She performs "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "As If We Never Said Goodbye" and "Ni Yong You Wo De Wei Lai – Friends for Life" (the Chinese translation of "Amigos Para Siempre"). 2010 I Dreamed a Dream – The Susan Boyle Story Live duet of "I Know Him So Well" with Susan Boyle.

Year Album title Format Notes 1985 Lyrics by Tim Rice VHS Performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "I Know Him So Well". 1991 Elaine Paige in Concert VHS Live recording at the Birmingham Symphony Hall of 1991 concert tour. 1998 Cats VHS/DVD Reprising her role as Grizabella. Andrew Lloyd Webber – Celebration VHS/DVD Live performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Memory". 2001 Andrew Lloyd Webber – Masterpiece DVD Live performances of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", "The Heart is Slow to Learn", "Memory", "The Perfect Year", "As If We Never Said Goodbye", "No Matter What" and "Ni Yong You Wo De Wei Lai – Friends for Life" (the Chinese translation of "Amigos Para Siempre"). 2009 Elaine Paige Live – Celebrating a Life on Stage DVD A live recording of Paige's 40th anniversary tour at the State Theatre, Sydney. 2014 I'm Still Here – Live at the Royal Albert Hall DVD/CD A live recording of Paige's 50th anniversary and farewell tour recorded at the Royal Albert Hall, London and featuring the Garðar Thór Cortes and the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Chris Egan. The package also includes a CD recording of the concert.