Elaine Paige  (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 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 Peron in the first production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita in 1978, which brought her to the attention of the broader public.
Background
Elaine Jill Bickerstaff was born and raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, where her father worked as an estate agent and her mother 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.  At 14, Paige listened to the film soundtrack of West Side Story, which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre. Paige's musical ability was encouraged by her school music teacher, Ann Hill, who was also the head of the music department. Paige was a member of Hill's choir, and her first role on stage was playing Susanna in a school production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, which was followed by parts in The Boy Mozart and solos in Handel's Messiah - "a difficult work for little children". Paige also recalls singing the mezzo role of Bastienne in Mozart's Bastien and Bastienne. 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.  Her father later suggested that she should go to drama school, so she attended the Aida Foster Theatre School. Lacking confidence, she initially disliked stage school; her father encouraged her to persevere and she grew to enjoy her time there. After graduating, her first job was modelling children's clothing at the Ideal Home Exhibition. 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.

Q: How old is Elaine Paige?
A: unknown
What has Elaine Paige done?
Paige listened to the film soundtrack of West Side Story, which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre.
Paige listened to the film soundtrack of West Side Story, which evoked the desire for a career in musical theatre.