English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Paige’s first professional appearance on stage was during the UK tour of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd in 1964, playing the role of a Chinese urchin. At the age of 20, she made her West End debut in Hair on 27 September 1968, remaining in the castuntil March 1970. 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). She also released her first studio album in 1978, entitled Sitting Pretty. 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 Denchhad to withdraw due to a torn Achilles tendon. Paige’s performance of the song “Memory” from Cats, with which she had a Top 10 hit,is her signature piece. The single reached number 5 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 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.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.In 1985, Paige released “I Know Him So Well”, a duet from Chess, singing with Barbara Dickson. The single held the number 1 position in the British singles charts for four weeks, 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,a role that earned her another Laurence Olivier Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical. Beyond her theatre roles, she appeared in the television program Unexplained Laughter in 1989 alongside Diana Rigg. In 1997, Paige made her United States concert debut when she opened the Boston Pops season, which was aired on WGBH in America. 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. In 2007, Paige returned to the West End stage for the first time in six years,as the Chaperone/Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Novello Theatre. Most recently (2010), an album entitled Elaine & Friends was produced by Phil Ramone. The album features duets with Paige and artists such as Johnny Mathis, Barry Manilow and Olivia Newton John. The album also features a duet with Sinéad O’Connor on a new song ‘It’s Only Life’ penned by Gary Barlow and Tim Rice.
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