Elaine Paige facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elaine Paige OBE
Paige in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Elaine Jill Bickerstaff
Born	(1948-03-05) 5 March 1948 (age 77) Barnet, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1964–present

Elaine Jill Paige (born 5 March 1948) is a famous English singer and actress. She is best known for her amazing work in musical theatre. Elaine grew up in Barnet, Hertfordshire, England. She went to the Aida Foster Theatre School and first performed on stage in 1964 when she was 16. Her first big show in London's West End was Hair in 1968.

Over the next ten years, Elaine played many roles. In 1978, she was chosen to play Eva Perón in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita. This role made her very well-known. She won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance. She also created the role of Grizabella in Cats and had a Top 10 hit song called "Memory" from the show.

In 1985, Elaine Paige sang "I Know Him So Well" with Barbara Dickson from the musical Chess. This song is still the biggest-selling record by a female duo. She then starred in the stage production of Chess. After that, she played a main role in Anything Goes, which she also helped produce. Elaine made her Broadway debut in New York in Sunset Boulevard in 1996. She played the lead role of Norma Desmond and received great reviews. She also appeared in The King and I from 2000 to 2001. Six years later, she returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. She has also appeared on television sometimes.

Elaine has been nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards and has won many other awards for her theatre roles. People often call her the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre" because of her talent and long career. She has released 22 solo albums. Eight of these albums became gold records, and four became multi-platinum. Elaine is also on seven cast albums and has sung in concerts all over the world. Since 2004, she has hosted her own show on BBC Radio 2 called Elaine Paige on Sunday.

In 2014, Elaine celebrated 50 years in show business. She announced a "Farewell" concert tour and a new album called The Ultimate Collection to mark this special time. Outside of her theatre work, Elaine is a vice-president of The Children's Trust. This is a UK charity that helps children with brain injuries.

Early Life and Stage Dreams

Elaine Jill Bickerstaff was born and grew up in Barnet, Hertfordshire. Her father, Eric, worked as an estate agent, and her mother, Irene, made hats. Her mother used to be a singer, and her father was a drummer. Elaine is just under 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall. She has said this sometimes made her miss out on lead roles.

When she was 14, Elaine listened to the music from the film West Side Story. This made her want to have a career in musical theatre. Her school music teacher, Ann Hill, encouraged her musical talent. Elaine sang in Hill's choir. Her first role on stage was playing Susanna in a school play of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. She also sang solos in Handel's Messiah.

Elaine attended Southaw Girls' School. Her father suggested she go to drama school, so she went to the Aida Foster Theatre School. At first, she didn't like stage school because she lacked confidence. But her father told her to keep trying, and she began to enjoy it. After graduating, her first job was modeling children's clothes.

Becoming a West End Star

First Steps and New Name

Elaine's first professional performance was when she was 16, right after drama school. She didn't get the first role she auditioned for. Her drama teacher told her to change her name and try again. She looked through a phone book and chose "Paige" with an "i". She got the next audition as Elaine Paige. In 1964, she appeared in the UK tour of the musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd, playing a Chinese street child.

In 1968, at age 20, she made her West End debut in Hair. She was part of the chorus and also an understudy for a main character. Over the next ten years, she played roles in many musicals. These included Jesus Christ Superstar, Grease (where she played Sandy from 1973 to 1974), Billy, and The Boyfriend.

Evita and Big Success

After many auditions, Hal Prince offered Elaine the main role of Eva Perón in the first stage production of Evita. Her performance was highly praised and made her famous at age 30. She played the role for 20 months, from 1978 to 1980. For her work in Evita, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical. She also won the Variety Club Award for Showbusiness Personality of the Year. In 1978, she released her first album, Sitting Pretty.

Before her success in Evita, Elaine thought about becoming a nursery nurse. But after she sang for actor Dustin Hoffman, he made her promise to continue in theatre. She said she was "fed up with the whole thing" and couldn't even afford new clothes. She stated, "Evita saved me."

Famous Roles and Songs

Cats and "Memory"

In 1981, Elaine played Grizabella in the first production of Cats. She took on the role when another actress, Judi Dench, had to leave due to injury. Elaine's performance of the song "Memory" from Cats became her signature song. The single reached number 6 in the UK charts. Over 160 other artists have recorded this song. She played Grizabella again for the video release of Cats in 1998.

Chess and "I Know Him So Well"

In 1984, Elaine created the role of Florence for the concept album of Chess. Her albums, Stages (1983) and Cinema (1984), were very popular. In 1985, Elaine released "I Know Him So Well", a duet from Chess, with Barbara Dickson. This song was number 1 in the British charts for four weeks. It is still the biggest-selling record by a female duo. From 1986 to 1987, Elaine played Florence in the stage production of Chess. This role earned her another Olivier Award nomination.

Anything Goes and Piaf

Elaine then played Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes from 1989 to 1990. She also helped produce this show. Playing Reno Sweeney was her first time using an American accent on stage. This role earned her a third Olivier Award nomination. In 1993, Elaine played the French singer Édith Piaf in the musical play Piaf. Critics loved her performance. The Guardian newspaper wrote that Elaine was "a magnificent, perfect Piaf." This demanding show required her to sing 15 songs, some in French. She had to leave early due to exhaustion. Her portrayal of Piaf earned her a fourth Olivier Award nomination. She also released an album of Édith Piaf songs.

Broadway Debut and Later Career

Sunset Boulevard in New York

In 1995, Elaine was honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to musical theatre.

Elaine played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard in London in 1994. She took over the role full-time the next year. She then moved to the New York production of Sunset Boulevard for her Broadway debut on 12 September 1996. She stayed with the show until it closed in March 1997. On the Sunset Boulevard set in Broadway, the stairs had to be raised six inches (15 cm) to make it easier to see Elaine because she is short. Elaine was welcomed to Broadway with a long standing ovation. She received many good reviews for her performance as Norma Desmond. One critic wrote, "The lush sound and the sheer power of her voice are, to put it simply, incredible."

Radio Show and Concerts

In 2004, Elaine started her weekly Sunday afternoon radio show, Elaine Paige on Sunday, on BBC Radio 2. The show plays music from musical theatre and films. It often has 3 million listeners. She also appeared on television, playing Dora Bunner in the 2005 ITV adaptation of Agatha Christie's A Murder Is Announced.

In 2006, Elaine released Essential Musicals, her first studio album of new songs in 12 years. She also performed concerts in many countries, including Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore. In 2007, Elaine returned to the West End stage in The Drowsy Chaperone. For her performance, she was nominated for a What's On Stage Award.

In 2008, she celebrated 40 years since her first West End performance. She released a picture-based autobiography called Memories. In 2010, she released an album called Elaine Paige and Friends. This album featured duets with artists like Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow, and Olivia Newton-John. It reached the top 20 in the UK Album Charts.

50th Anniversary and Farewell Tour

In 2011, Elaine played Carlotta Campion in the Follies production at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She received good reviews for her song, "I'm Still Here." She then performed this role on Broadway and in Los Angeles.

At the end of 2013, Elaine announced a concert tour called Page by Page by Paige. This tour celebrated her 50th anniversary in show business and was advertised as a farewell tour. The tour ran from 9 to 20 October 2014, ending at the Royal Albert Hall, London. In 2014, Elaine also hosted and performed in a six-episode television show for Sky Arts called The Elaine Paige Show.

In 2017, she appeared in a pantomime at the London Palladium as Queen Rat in Dick Whittington. She returned for Pantoland at The Palladium in 2020. In 2018, Elaine played Mercy Hackett in the BBC TV comedy Home from Home. In 2020, she appeared in the BBC drama series Life.

Her Impact on Theatre

Elaine Paige is often called the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre" because of her many starring roles in famous musicals. She has never married or had children. She has said that she wanted to have children, but she feels "very fulfilled in other ways" by her wonderful life.

People around the world praise Elaine's singing and acting skills. Andrew Gans of Playbill magazine wrote that "Paige's gift is to dissect a role and determine what phrasing, gesture or emotion can bring a scene to its fullest dramatic potential." Andrew Lloyd Webber himself said that her version of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" is one of the best interpretations of his songs.

Elaine rarely goes to watch musicals herself. She prefers to watch films or plays. She sees herself mostly as an actress, not just a singer. She has said that musical theatre is very hard work for actors. It requires them to be very careful about sleeping, eating, and resting their voice. She never reads her reviews because she finds it's not helpful to hear too many opinions about her work.

Charity Work

Elaine Paige has been an Ambassador for The Children's Trust for over 35 years. This charity helps children with brain injuries. She has hosted and performed at many fundraising events for the charity.

Theatre credits

Discography

Solo albums

Compilations

Cast recordings

Singles

Other albums and guest appearances

Videos and DVDs

Curated albums

Tying in with her weekly radio show, Paige has been involved in the compilation of two albums featuring selected tracks from musical theatre.

See also

In Spanish: Elaine Paige para niños