Elaine Paige 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.
Birth name: | Elaine Jill Bickerstaff |
Born: | March 5, 1948, Barnet, Hertfordshire, England |
Occupation(s): | Singer, actress |
Years active: | 1964–present |
IMDb: | Elaine Paige's IMDb |
About Elaine Paige
Musical theatre actress whose duet with Barbara Dickson, "I Know Him so Well," became one of the best-selling records ever recorded by a female duo.
Before Fame
As a result of her short stature, she was advised by her school headmistress to abandon her plan to pursue a career in professional tennis.
Achievement
She worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber to create and act the role of Grizabella in the original production of Cats.
Family Life
Her father suggested that she go to drama school.
Associations
She performed in a high school production of The Marriage of Figaro, an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Information related to Elaine Paige
- People with lupus
- Alumni of the Aida Foster Theatre School
- Actresses from Hertfordshire
- Musicians from Hertfordshire
- BBC Radio 2 presenters
- English musical theatre actresses
- Breast cancer survivors
- Laurence Olivier Award winners
- Women radio presenters
- Singers from London