Elaine Paige

Elaine Paige OBE (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised inBarnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage 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 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 went on to originate the role ofGrizabella 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 2called Elaine Paige on Sunday.

In 2014, Paige celebrates her 50 years in show business. Paige announced on her official website a "Farewell" concert tour[3]  and a new career-spanning album 'The Ultimate Collection'[4]  to mark this milestone in her career.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Life and career  ==Life and career[ edit] == ===Background[ edit] === Elaine Jill Bickerstaff was born and raised in Barnet, North London, where her father worked as an estate agent and her mother was a milliner.[2]  Her mother had been a singer in her youth, and her father was an amateur drummer.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  Paige stands at just under 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, which she says has caused her to lose out on leading roles.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-millionaire_6-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[6]  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",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-scotsman_7-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]  but Paige continued to play tennis and has referred to the sport as one of her passions.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-abcpaige_8-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8]
 * 1.1 Background
 * 1.2 Early career – 1968–1980: West End debut and Evita
 * 1.3 1981–1993: Cats and Chess era
 * 1.4 1994–2001: Sunset Boulevard and Broadway debut
 * 1.5 2002–present: Radio and return to West End and Broadway
 * 2 Legacy
 * 3 Views on theatre
 * 4 Stage roles
 * 5 TV roles
 * 6 Discography
 * 6.1 Solo albums
 * 6.2 Cast recordings
 * 6.3 Singles
 * 6.4 Other albums and guest appearances
 * 6.5 Videos and DVDs
 * 7 References
 * 8 External links

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">At 14, Paige listened to the film soundtrack of West Side Story, which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-artist_9-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]  Paige's musical ability was encouraged by her school music teacher, Ann Hill,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-abcpaige_8-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8] who was also the head of the music department.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  Paige was a member of Hill's choir,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  and her first role on stage was playing Susanna in a school production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lupus_11-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11] which was followed by parts in The Boy Mozart and solos in Handel's Messiah—<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  "a difficult work for little children".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-abcpaige_8-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[8]  Paige also recalls singing the mezzo role of Bastienne in Mozart's Bastien and Bastienne.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  After singing the aria, she chose to break down in character and to release a sob much to the audience's shock who, having been convinced by her acting, thought she was in real pain.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Her father later suggested that she should go to drama school,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  so she attended the Aida Foster Theatre School.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-values_2-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2]  Lacking confidence, she initially disliked stage school; her father encouraged her to endure and she grew to enjoy her time there.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  After graduating, her first job was modelling children's clothing at the Ideal Home Exhibition.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-values_2-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2]  Prior to stage school she attended Southaw Girls' School – a secondary modern in Oakleigh Park in Hertfordshire where she had achieved just two CSE qualifications.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10] ===Early career – 1968–1980: West End debut and Evita<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  playing the role of aChinese urchin.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lupus_11-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  To audition for the role she sang "I'm Just a Girl who Cain't Say No" but was rejected the first time.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thismorning_12-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]  She was successful the second time around after being convinced to re-audition under a new name.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thismorning_12-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thismorning_12-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[12]  At the age of 20, she made her West End debut in Hair<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  on 27 September 1968, remaining in the cast until March 1970.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-listofshows_14-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14]  While also being an understudy for the character of Sheila,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-desert_15-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15]  she played a member of the tribe in the chorus,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-desert_15-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[15]  for which role she was required to be naked on stage in one scene.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lupus_11-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[11]  She also appeared as an urchin in the West End's Oliver!.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sob_10-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[10]  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;<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  and The Boyfriend, as Maisie (1975–1976).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-listofshows_14-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14] Paige starred in the 1978 sex (soft porn) comedy film Adventures of a Plumber's Mate

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">After months of acting and singing auditions,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-artist_9-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]  Hal Prince offered the still relatively unknown Paige the title role of Eva Perón in the first stage production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical,Evita.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-shanghai_17-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[17] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-18" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[18]  Her performance won her critical acclaim and brought her into public prominence at the age of 30.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]  Julie Covington, who played the role on the original concept album, had turned down the opportunity of playing the role on stage leading a long search for a new star. Paige eventually competed against Bonnie Schoen, an American initially favoured by Prince for the role.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]  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."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Richmond_book_20-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[20]  For her performance in Evita, she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-olivier1978_21-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[21]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-drowsy_22-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22]  She played the role for 20 months in total, from 1978 to 1980.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-comedy_23-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[23]  She also released her first studio album in 1978, entitled Sitting Pretty.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Just prior to her success in Evita, Paige had strongly considered becoming a nursery nurse, but after she sang for Dustin Hoffman, he made her promise that she would continue in theatre work.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-livingnorth_24-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[24]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sexdrugs_25-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25] ===1981–1993: Cats and Chess era<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cats_26-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[26] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ny_27-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[27]  She took on the role late in the rehearsal process when the actress Judi Dench had to withdraw due to a torn Achilles tendon.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cats_26-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[26]  Paige's performance of the song "Memory" from Cats, with which she had a Top 10 hit,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-28" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[28]  is her signature piece.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-walesonline_29-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29]  The single reached number 5 in the UK charts and has since been recorded by a further 160 artists.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-30" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[30]  She reprised the role of Grizabella for the video release of Cats in 1998,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-31" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[31]  one of only two performers in the film from the original London cast, the other one being Susan Jane Tanner as Jellylorum.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-ny_27-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[27]  Paige's website claims that the video soon became the bestselling music video in the UK and America.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-official_32-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[32]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The 1983 production of Abbacadabra, written by former ABBA members, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rec_33-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[33]  saw Paige star in the role of Carabosse.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-profile_34-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[34]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-35" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[35]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-official_32-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[32]  In 1985, Paige released "I Know Him So Well", a duet from Chess, singing with Barbara Dickson.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  The single held the number 1 position in the British singles charts for four weeks,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-record_36-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[36]  and still remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo, according to the Guinness Book of Records.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-questions_37-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[37]  From 1986 to 1987, Paige appeared as Florence in the stage production of Chess,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  a role that earned her a second Olivier Award nomination, this time in the category, Best Actress in a Musical.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-olivier1986_38-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[38]  She next sang at the White House in 1988.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-walesonline_29-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige then took on the part of Reno Sweeney in the musical production of Anything Goes, which she co-produced and starred in from 1989 to 1990.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Patti LuPone was appearing in Anything Goes on Broadway around that time, so Paige sought to become the co-producer of the West End production as a way to secure the role there before Lupone could take it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-comedy_23-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[23]  Playing Reno Sweeney was Paige's first experience using an American accent on stage,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-39" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[39]  the role earned her a third Olivier Award nomination.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-olivier1989_40-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[40]  Beyond her theatre roles, she appeared in the television programme Unexplained Laughter in 1989 alongside Diana Rigg.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1993, Paige signed up for a year as French chanteuse Édith Piaf in Pam Gems' musical play, Piaf, to critical acclaim.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  The Guardian wrote that Paige was "a magnificent, perfect Piaf".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  The demanding production required Paige to sing 15 songs, some in French, and to be on stage for 2 hours 40 minutes in total, and forced her to leave early due to exhaustion.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  Her portrayal of Piaf earned her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, her fourth nomination.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-olivier1994_41-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[41]  She subsequently released an album, entitled Piaf, containing Édith Piaf songs.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-42" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[42] ===1994–2001: Sunset Boulevard and Broadway debut<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1995, Paige was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth for her contributions to musical theatre.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-returns_43-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[43] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-gazette_44-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[44]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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 due to her undergoing an emergency appendectomy.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  The nature of the situation meant that Paige only had two-and-a-half weeks in the rehearsal process before her first performance.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  She admitted feeling daunted by the task which would follow having seen Glenn Close in the role just prior to entering her own rehearsals.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  London critics were largely won over by Paige in a performance that "not only wrings out every ounce of dramatic action but delivers some unexpected humor as well"<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  and she took over the part full-time the following year.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  She then won the Variety Club Award for Best Actress of the Year,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  and received her fifth Olivier Award nomination in 1996.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-olivier1996_46-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[46]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cancer_47-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[47]  She returned twice, and her doctor subsequently sent her for tests that confirmed the lump was cancerous, nine months after she discovered it.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-48" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[48]  Continuing her role in the production Paige did not miss a show,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sexdrugs_25-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25]  and stated, "When I did the show I became very emotional. Some of the lyrics suddenly took on an entirely different meaning. Words like, 'as if we never said goodbye' became more real".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cancer_47-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[47]  Paige went in for day surgery on a Sunday due to her theatre commitments, had five years of medical treatment and completed a radiation programme.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cancer_47-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[47]  She spoke for the first time of her encounter with breast cancer in a 2004 interview,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cancer_47-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[47]  and has since described the period as "the most awful thing that's happened to me in my life".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-big_49-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[49]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige transferred to the American production of Sunset Boulevard to make her Broadway debut at the Minskoff Theatre on 12 September 1996,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-listofshows_14-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[14]  staying with the show until it closed on 22 March 1997.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-50" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[50] 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-growthfactor_51-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[51]  Paige was welcomed to the Broadway stage with a long standing ovation from the audience,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-52" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[52]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-53" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[53]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  Lloyd Webber noted, regarding Paige's performance of one of the show's other prominent songs, "As If We Never Said Goodbye", that it was "as good, if not the best, of anything I've ever heard of mine".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]  Regarding the key lyric in the song, "This world's waited long enough. I've come home at last", Paige had sought to change the way the melody was sung, despite being fully aware of Lloyd-Webber's fastidious tendencies.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  To her, the moment was not exploited to its fullest potential, so she approached the show's musical director, David Caddick, and expressed her wish to hold the word "home", to which he agreed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  Although she had been disappointed when she hoped to perform on Broadway in Evita, Cats and Chess, Paige stated of her debut there, "It was just the most perfect time to go with that particular show".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  After Sunset Boulevard finished, she suffered from depression, commenting that the show's closing "was the most terrible feeling. ... I'd felt I'd lost something so very important to me. I thought it had died and gone away".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-know_54-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[54]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Arts commentator Melvyn Bragg hosted a special edition of The South Bank Show about Paige's career in 1996, entitled The Faces of Elaine Paige.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-mtv_55-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[55]  The episode saw her visiting parts of the world where plays she had starred in had been set.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-mtv_55-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[55]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 1997, Paige made her United States concert debut when she opened the Boston Pops season, which was aired on WGBH in America.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-56" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[56]  The following year, she made a guest star appearance at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the Royal Albert Hall.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-57" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[57]  During the birthday tribute show, she sang "Memory" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", two songs from her past musical productions by Lloyd Webber. Paige's next role was 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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  A Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Operatic and Dramatic Association soon followed.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-drowsy_22-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22]  She later performed alongside Bette Midler in a 1999 New York concert to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-58" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[58]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-drowsy_22-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22]  Paige had turned down an offer for the role the first time she was approached, but later accepted, admitting that she had "forgotten what a fantastic score it was",<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-59" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[59]  although she did question her own suitability for the role.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-comedy_23-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[23]  Before the opening, the box office had already taken in excess of £7 million in ticket sales.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-60" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[60]  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,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-61" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[61]  whereas The Spectator asserted that the role further strengthened her title as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-62" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[62]  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,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-values_2-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2]  and Paige's sister, Marion Billings, admitted, "That was very hard for Elaine, having to go on stage night after night knowing she wanted to be with Mum".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-values_2-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[2] ===2002–present: Radio and return to West End and Broadway<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige sang at the opening of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and then made her Los Angeles concert debut at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-63" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[63]  In 2003, she played Angèle in Where There's a Will, directed by Peter Hall.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-drowsy_22-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[22]  She next sang the role of Mrs Lovett in the New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in March 2004,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-64" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[64]  earning positive reviews from critics,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-65" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[65] and a nomination for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-66" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[66]  Paige then embarked upon a UK tour which was entitled "No Strings Attached".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-67" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[67]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In September 2004, Paige began a weekly radio show, Elaine Paige on Sunday,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-returns_43-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[43]  on BBC Radio 2, featuring music from musical theatre and film.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-68" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[68]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-69" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[69]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-70" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[70]  However, the show regularly attracts 3 million listeners,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rec_33-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[33]  and interviews are also featured each week.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-71" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[71]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rock_72-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  The episode of Marple was watched by 7.78 million viewers.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-73" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[73]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">The release of Paige's first full studio album of new recordings in 12 years was marked in 2006, entitled Essential Musicals.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rock_72-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  The album included popular songs from musicals identified by a poll on her radio show,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rock_72-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  in which 400,000 listeners voted.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-scotsman_7-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]  At this point, Paige had recorded 20 solo albums in total, of which eight were consecutively certified gold and another four multi-platinum, and she had been featured on seven cast albums.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-scotsman_7-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]  Paige also appeared in concert in Scandinavia, Hong Kong, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-74" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[74]  On 20 and 21 December 2006, she performed in concert in Shanghai, extending her concert tour to two dates to satisfy demand.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-shanghai_17-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[17]  With a noticeable absence from musical theatre, having not taken a role for many years, she explained in 2006 that "there's been nothing that I've wanted to do, and if you're going to commit to a year at the theatre, six days a week, and have no life, then it's got to be something that you want to do with all your heart".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rock_72-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  She also affirmed that she believes for older actors it becomes harder to obtain theatre roles.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-big_49-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[49]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2007, Paige made a return to the West End stage for the first time in six years,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-returns_43-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[43]  as the Chaperone/Beatrice Stockwell in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Novello Theatre.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-75" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[75]  The production ran for a disappointing 96 performances,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-76" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[76]  although it had opened to a standing ovation from the audience and a generally optimistic reaction from critics.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-77" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[77]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-78" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[78]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-79" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[79]  For her performance, Paige was nominated for a What's On Stage Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-wos_80-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[80]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-81" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[81]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-82" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[82]  She opened the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in July 2008, performing some of her well-known songs from her 40-year career.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-83" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[83]  She next started her world tour, with dates in China, America and Australia.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-walesonline_29-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29]  To further celebrate 40 years since her professional stage debut, in October 2008 Paige released a picture-based autobiography entitled Memories.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-memories_84-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[84]  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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-85" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[85]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">An album entitled Elaine Paige and Friends was produced by Phil Ramone in 2010.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lining_86-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[86]  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 on a new song "It's Only Life" penned by Tim Rice.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-lining_86-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[86]  Having entered the top 20 of UK album charts,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-elaineandfriends_87-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[87]  Elaine Paige and Friends went on to achieve gold status.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-88" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[88]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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 starred Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Ron Raines and Danny Burstein.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-89" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[89]  She reprised this role in the Broadway transfer of the musical at theMarquis Theatre beginning 7 August 2011 and ending on 22 January 2012. Paige played Carlotta in the engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, California from 3 May 2012 through 9 June 2012.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-90" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[90]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In 2014, Paige became involved in a six-episode limited show for Sky Arts television called The Elaine Paige Show, featuring Broadway and West End stars.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-91" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[91]  The inaugural Australian cruise of the performing arts on the MS Radiance of the Seas in November 2014 included Paige as well as, among others, Cheryl Barker, David Hobson, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Simon Tedeschi, Marina Prior, and John Waters.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-92" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[92] ==Legacy<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">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.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sexdrugs_25-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25]  In 2008, she celebrated the 40th anniversary of her professional debut on the West End stage debut.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-memories_84-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[84]  Paige has never married nor had children,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-sexdrugs_25-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[25] <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-know_54-1" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[54]  although she had an 11-year affair with the lyricist Tim Rice throughout the 1980s.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-93" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[93]  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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-rock_72-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[72]  Paige has been dating Justin Mallinson since spring 2010.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige's singing abilities have won her worldwide praise, as have her acting skills with Andrew Gans of Playbill magazine writing 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".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-meetelaine_45-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[45]  Mark Shenton also highlighted her voice in 2008 as "one of the most distinctive and impressive voices in the business".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-94" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[94]  Lloyd-Webber insists that her rendition of "As If We Never Said Goodbye" is one of the best interpretations of a song by him.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-newnorma_5-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[5]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">She is a Vice-President of The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injury.

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige has gained herself a reputation as someone who can be "difficult". The Times' Brian Logan wrote, "Paige is not exactly known for her humility. In newspaper profiles, that dread word 'difficult' is often applied".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-5" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]  On one occasion, she told a male interviewer that she was going to stop giving interviews to female reporters because, in her own words, "I don't trust other women in these situations. They establish a sisterhood with you and then betray it every time".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  What has been seen as a cold side to her personality was also noted by Logan,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-6" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]  but Paige has said that a common misconception of her is that she is confident and very serious.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-broadcaster_95-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[95]  Another editor found her "refreshingly down-to-earth" and "very friendly".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-walesonline_29-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29] ==Views on theatre<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Though Paige has enjoyed a long career in musical theatre, she rarely goes to watch musicals, much preferring to watch films or plays.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-metro_96-0" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[96]  She considers herself primarily an actress, rather than a singer,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16] stating, "I really prefer to be in character".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-scotsman_7-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[7]  Comparing the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein to that of Lloyd Webber, Paige has said that she finds Rodgers and Hammerstein songs more difficult to sing, and described them as challenging. She concluded, "it's a quieter kind of singing, more controlled, not belting it out".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-9" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the light of the physical demands of performing in theatre Paige has said "Musical theatre is the hardest thing any actor will ever do. You become obsessive about sleeping, eating the right food, not speaking and giving yourself vocal rest and keeping exercised".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-thestageturning_13-8" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[13]  Regarding the pressure of having to be in a fit condition to perform in theatre each night, she remarked "you wouldn't want to read the letters people write when you're off and they're disappointed – it's so awful, the guilt one feels for not being there".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-10" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  As part of a rigorous routine before musical roles to look after her voice, Paige stops eating dairy products and drinking alcohol and works hard on her fitness.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-11" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  After about three months into the production when her voice is tiring from performing, she withdraws from her normal social life, sometimes only communicating by notepad and fax.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-show_16-12" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[16]  She never reads her reviews, finding that it is not helpful to hear too many opinions of her work.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-artist_9-2" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]

<p style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">Paige has named reality television series such as Any Dream Will Do, which aim to find an unknown actor to play the lead role in a musical, as the greatest threat to theatre today, believing that "actors already striving in the theatre wouldn't dream of putting themselves on these shows".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-artist_9-3" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[9]  In a later interview, she questioned the seriousness of the actors auditioning for this type of show: "you wouldn't put yourself up for one of those shows in case you got bumped off the first week and all your colleagues saw it".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-turning_19-7" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[19]  She has also expressed a wish for more new musicals to be put into production, instead of frequent revivals.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-walesonline_29-4" style="line-height:1;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;">[29] ==Stage roles<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==TV roles<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:20.363636016845703px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:13.63636302947998px;">In the 1980 ITV drama series Lady Killers, Paige played convicted murderer Kate Webster. In 1981 in Tales of the Unexpected, "The Way to Do it", Paige plays Suzie, a girl working in a small casino trying to keep guests happy and finally eloping with the main character. Paige has also played roles in Agatha Christie's Marple and Where the Heart Is. In 1989, Paige appeared alongside Diana Rigg and Jon Finch inAlice Thomas Ellis' "Unexplained Laughter", as part of the BBC's The Play on One. ==Discography<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ===Solo albums<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Cast recordings<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Singles<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Other albums and guest appearances<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ===Videos and DVDs<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] ===