Elaine Paige Responds: Compliments Boyle and Claims Remarks were 'Misinterpreted'

By: Jan. 28, 2010
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In the wake of the media storm that has ensued as a result of comments run in the U.K. Daily Mail in which Elaine Paige - famous for her performances in EVITA and CATS in the West End - states that Susan Boyle was a "virus," Paige has just released the following statement to clarify her comments, which she asserts, were grossly misinterpreted and skewed. The pair had recently sung a duet together for an ITV special.

The volatile comment lay in Paige's remark, "[Boyle] was like a virus really that spread across the world in a nanosecond."

Paige then elaborated on her statement in the Daily Mail, claiming that "she is a girl with no experience of anything to do with theatrics, the music business, or art in any way" and that she doesn't "particularly feel any pride for her - I'm sure she is proud of what she has done." 

Says Paige in response of the Daily Mail article:

"I was dismayed to read the remarks attributed to me today in the Daily Mail which were incomplete and misinterpreted.

I am a huge supporter of Susan Boyle and admire what she has achieved; she has handled the extraordinary situation of being catapulted to worldwide stardom with tremendous strength, charm and dignity and I thoroughly enjoyed working with her on the ITV special we recorded together only last month.

I have always said it's very hard for someone to be fast-tracked to stardom without any prior experience - I know this as it happened to me when ‘Evita' opened and I found it extremely difficult in the beginning; today, of course, it's much harder with the phenomenon of the internet - Facebook, YouTube etc - it seems it only takes minutes for fame to spread around the world - and that's why I used the word ‘virus'! I wasn't referring to Susan herself; I was referring to the speed of her fame spreading as fast as a worldwide viral marketing campaign."

Elaine Paige has starred in numerous West End productions and on Broadway and in concert internationally, sweeping to fame when she created her award winning performance as Eva Peron in EVITA. Shortly afterwards she created the role of Grizabella in the original production of CATS and the classic song Memory became one of Elaine's many hit records. Further theatre productions: HAIR, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, GREASE, BILLY, CHESS (with her record breaking number one hit I Know Him So Well with Barbara Dickson), ANYTHING GOES, PIAF, SUNSET BOULEVARD in London and Broadway, THE KING AND I, SWEENEY TODD (New York City Opera). She has worked twice with Sir Peter Hall's Theatre Company in THE MISANTHROPE and Feydeau's WHERE THERE'S A WILL.

Paige returned to the West End stage in 2007 to critical acclaim in the title role of "The Drowsy Chaperone" at the Novello Theatre, London for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance in What's On Stage Awards, London. As well as performing in Europe and in the USA in concert she has recently recorded a track with 'Secret Garden', 'The Things You Are You To Me' for their new number one quadruple-platinum selling album.

 

 

 

 



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