Elaine Paige

Born: 1948-03-05

Elaine Jill Paige OBE (née Bickerstaff; 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. ... Source: Article "Elaine Paige" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.


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Cats

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Released: 1998-10-05

"Jellicle" cats join for a Jellicle ball where they rejoice with their leader, Old Deuteronomy....

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Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age

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Tribute to entertainer Cilla Black.

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The One and Only Phyllis Dixey

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British superstar composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is feted in this 50th birthday benefit gala...

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Released: 2022-01-29

Selection of Elaine Paige’s appearances on BBC TV over her four decades in show business and...

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A View of Harry Clark

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Elaine Paige: I’m Still Here

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Award-winning actress, singer, producer and broadcaster Elaine Paige has made a unique and major...

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Andrew Lloyd Webber: Masterpiece

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Show Tunes at the BBC

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Midsomer Murders

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The One Show

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First aired: 2006-08-14

A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.

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Father Brown

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First aired: 2013-01-14

Father Brown is based on G. K. Chesterton's detective stories about a Catholic priest who...

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Wogan

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Chat show hosted by Terry Wogan, featuring live studio interviews with famous and notable...

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The Alan Titchmarsh Show

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First aired: 2007-09-03

The Alan Titchmarsh Show is a British daytime chat show presented by Alan Titchmarsh. It was...

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Great Performances

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First aired: 1971-01-28

The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse...

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Tales of the Unexpected

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First aired: 1979-03-24

A British television anthology of stories, often with sinister and wryly comedic undertones, and...

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Champs-Elysées

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First aired: 1982-01-16

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The Paul O'Grady Show

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First aired: 2004-10-11

The Paul O'Grady Show is a British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul...

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An Audience with...

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First aired: 1978-01-08

An Audience with... is a British entertainment television show produced by London Weekend...

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This Morning

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First aired: 1988-10-03

This Morning features a variety of news, as well as show business, fashion, beauty, lifestyle,...

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Life

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The Play on One

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First aired: 1988-01-19

A series of plays specially written for television.

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Beautiful People

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First aired: 2008-10-02

Beautiful People is a British comedy drama television series based on the memoirs of Barneys...

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Michael Barrymore's Saturday Night Out

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First aired: 1988-07-23

A BBC variety entertainment summer series, for the first season presented from The Fort Regent...

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The Marti Caine Show

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First aired: 1979-01-08

Marti Caine presents a star studded variety show in which she performs comedy material, sings...

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