PAGE BY PAGE
Anyone who gets a standing ovation merely by entering the room has undoubtedly accomplished something great. Ken Page’s illustrious career and sterling character earned him such a welcome from a room full of friends, colleagues, and admirers at the top of his cabaret show Right Here, Right Now, presented at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood on April 3, 2024.
For those who don’t know, Ken was in the original cast of Cats, Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Wiz, the 1976 revival of Guys & Dolls. He voiced Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. And these are just a few highlights from an impressively long resume. This night, Ken proved once again that he can’”with what seems like effortless skill and grace’”command a stage, touch hearts, and incite laughter. His voice hasn’t aged a day. But the wisdom and perspective that comes from a life so richly lived was palpable throughout the show.
“Pass it on.” This is the main theme that was woven throughout the evening. A table of his students from USC exemplified the youth to which Ken was speaking’”sometimes directly through quips and quotes, and other times indirectly through his musicianship and storytelling. He stood as both a model and a guide for those who would carry the torch onward and continue the legacy of which Ken admits he is but a chapter among volumes.
He also created a space for the more seasoned audience members to reminisce and relive. Right Here, Right Now was crafted as a bridge from the past through the present to the future. A certain willingness to indulge in nostalgia and fall back into the mood and pace of a bygone era was required to fully appreciate the musical journey.
His setlist was peppered with hits from his career (“Mean Ol’ Lion” from The Wiz, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ The Boat” from Guys & Dolls), lit ablaze with the occasional dynamic and saucy number (“All That Jazz” from Chicago, “Cool” from West Side Story, “Hoochie Coochie Man” by Willie Dixon), bewitched by soulful tunes (“Tryin’ Times” by Roberta Flack, “Deep in tThe Night”), and laid bare through spiritual ballads (“Still I Loved” by Harry Belafonte, “Hello in There” by John Prine, Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle”).
The Catalina Jazz Club was fortunate to host the artistry of Ken Page. What’s unfortunate is the food didn’t rise to the level of the talent. That aside, Right Here, Right Now was a night full of joy and love. Ken Page always has been, and continues to be, a class act.
