Paige's first professional appearance was in the UK tour of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd. She made her West End debut in Hair, and went on to featured roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Nuts, Grease, and Billy (a musical adaptation of the film Billy Liar.)
In 1978, Hal Prince offered the still relatively unknown Paige the title role in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita after Julie Covington, who played the role on the album turned down the part. This proved to be the defining moment in her evolution to the self proclaimed title "First Lady of British Musical Theatre".
Paige has portrayed some of Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, originating the role of Grizabella in Cats (a role she reprised for a video release). She took on the role late in rehearsal when the actress Judi Dench had to pull out due to a torn Achilles tendon. Her performance of the song Memory from that show is her signature piece.
In 1994, Paige took over the role of Norma Desmond in Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard when Betty Buckley was ill, before stepping into the part full time the following year. She transferred to the American production to make her Broadway debut in a performance that Lloyd Webber described as "musically terrific" in 1996, staying with the show until it closed the following year. In 1998, Paige made a guest star appearance at the Andrew Lloyd Webber, fiftieth birthday celebration in the Royal Albert Hall. She sang Memory and Don't Cry for Me Argentina.
By no means has Paige limited her theatre credits to Lloyd Webber projects. In 1986, she appeared as Florence in Chess, (lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA), a role she had originated for the 1984 RCA double-disc concept album. The show was notable at the time for its set, which featured a large, tilting stage that resembled an illuminated chess board, with a proscenium built from television screens. For this role Paige was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award in a category Outstandng Performance by an Actress in a Musical.
She followed this success with a hit revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes in 1989 which she co-produced with Tim Rice, based on the contemporary US (Lincoln Center) production starring Patti LuPone. In 1993, she embarked on a troubled run as famed French chanteuse Édith Piaf in Pam Gems' musical play Piaf (1993). In 2000 she appeared in another acclaimed revival, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's The King and I, in which the King was played by Jason Scott Lee.
In 2004, she sang the role of Mrs. Lovett in the New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. In June 2007 Paige will play the title role in the musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone at London's Novello Theatre.
Paige also has had success in the UK singles charts. I Know Him So Well (from Chess), her duet with Barbara Dickson, held the #1 position in the British charts for four weeks, and still remains the biggest selling record by a female duo in the Guinness Book of Records. She also had a top ten hit with Memory from Cats. Additionally, she has had eight consecutive gold and four multi-platinum albums.
Paige released her first full studio album of new recordings in twelve years, "Essential Musicals" in October 2006. It includes popular songs from musicals identified by a poll on her radio show.
Paige has hosted her own BBC television specials as well as starred in several films for the network, and has also performed in a number of televised Royal Variety Shows. 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. She made special recordings of some of her most famous songs exclusively for the programme. It is frequently shown on PBS in the USA.
More recently, Paige has focused on television appearances, playing Dora Bunner in the 2004 ITV adaptation of Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, before performing a guest role as a post mistress in Where the Heart Is.
In September 2004, Paige began a weekly radio show, Elaine Paige on Sunday, on BBC Radio 2, featuring music from musical theatre and film scores. Occasional interviews are also featured, having included theatre impressario Cameron Mackintosh, actress Angela Lansbury, the Pet Shop Boys and Elton John. Paige's show has been described by Elisabeth Mahoney of The Guardian as a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2.
Someone Else
Elaine Paige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In someone else's lifetime
Someone with my name
Who looked a lot like me
Came to know
A girl and made a promise
She only had to say
And that's where she would be
Although the feelings run just as deep
The promise she made has grown impossible to keep
And yet I wish it wasn't so
Will she miss me if I go?
In a way
It's someone else's story
I don't see myself
As taking part at all
Yesterday
A girl that I was fond of
Finally could see
The writing on the wall
Sadly
She realized she'd left him behind
And sadder than that she knew he wouldn't even mind
And though there's nothing left to say
Would she listen if I stay?
It's all very well to say you fool it's now or never
I could be choosing
No choices whatsoever.
I could be
In someone else's story
In someone else's life
And she could be in mine
I don't see
A reason to be lonely
I could take my chances
Further down the line
And if
That boy I knew should ask my advice
Oh I wouldn't hesitate he needn't ask me twice
Go now!
I'd tell him that for free
Trouble is, the boy is me
The story is, the boy is me.
The song "Someone Else's Story" by Elaine Paige tells the story of two people who once made a promise to each other and fell in love, but circumstances have made it impossible for them to be together. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels like an outsider in someone else's story, and that the life they are living is not the one they would have chosen for themselves. Instead, they feel like they are stuck in a situation that they have no control over.
The first verse describes how the singer's doppelganger, who looked a lot like them, once made a promise to a girl that she would be there for her whenever she needed. However, the singer reflects that this promise has become impossible to keep, and wonders if the girl will miss them when they leave. The second verse describes how the singer was fond of a girl, but she realized that he had been left behind and wouldn't mind. The lyrics suggest that the singer is contemplating taking a chance and moving on down the line to find a better life.
The song's theme of feeling like an outsider in someone else's story is a common one in musical theater, and the lyrics capture this sentiment perfectly. The song was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, who were also responsible for writing the music for the popular musical "Chess," which "Someone Else's Story" is a part of. The song has been covered by many artists, including Barbara Dickson and Maureen McGovern.
Line by Line Meaning
Long ago
This happened in the past.
In someone else's lifetime
This happened to another person.
Someone with my name
The person who this happened to had the same name as me.
Who looked a lot like me
The person who this happened to looked similar to me.
Came to know
The person who this happened to met someone.
A girl and made a promise
The person who this happened to made a promise to a girl.
She only had to say
The girl only had to ask for something.
And that's where she would be
The person who this happened to would be there for the girl.
Lately
Recently.
Although the feelings run just as deep
Even though the emotions are still strong.
The promise she made has grown impossible to keep
The promise made to the girl cannot be fulfilled anymore.
And yet I wish it wasn't so
Despite this, the person who this happened to wishes it was different.
Will she miss me if I go?
The person who this happened to wonders if the girl will miss them if they leave.
In a way
In some sense or another.
It's someone else's story
This is not happening to the person who is singing, but rather to someone else.
I don't see myself
The person who is singing doesn't think they are involved in this.
As taking part at all
The person who is singing does not think they are taking part in this story.
Yesterday
The day before today.
A girl that I was fond of
The person who is singing liked a girl.
Finally could see
The girl was able to understand something.
The writing on the wall
The signs that something was going to happen in the future were clear to see.
Sadly
Regrettably.
She realized she'd left him behind
The girl had left someone behind.
And sadder than that she knew he wouldn't even mind
The girl knew that the person she left behind would not care.
And though there's nothing left to say
There is nothing more to be said about this situation.
Would she listen if I stay?
The person who is singing wonders if the girl would listen if they stayed.
It's all very well to say you fool it's now or never
It's easy to say that someone should act now before it's too late.
I could be choosing
The person who is singing has options.
No choices whatsoever.
The person who is singing doesn't have any good options.
I could be
It's possible that I am.
In someone else's story
This could be happening to someone else.
In someone else's life
This could be happening to another person.
And she could be in mine
The girl could be a part of the person who is singing's life.
I don't see
The person who is singing doesn't believe.
A reason to be lonely
There is no reason to be alone.
I could take my chances
The person who is singing could take risks.
Further down the line
At a future moment in time.
And if
In the event that.
That boy I knew should ask my advice
If the person who is singing's former self asks for advice.
Oh I wouldn't hesitate he needn't ask me twice
The person who is singing would not hesitate to give advice.
Go now!
The advice the person who is singing would give would be to leave.
I'd tell him that for free
The advice the person who is singing would give would not come with a charge.
Trouble is, the boy is me
The person who is singing is actually the person who they are giving advice to.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BENNY GORAN BROR ANDERSSON, BJOERN K. ULVAEUS, TIM RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dianeellis92
Anyone going into theater should study Elaine! What a model for all. I love how she can just control her voice in any situation!
@georgerodriguez4853
I Love You ♥️🤩👏👌🙏🎶🎆
@nina69sin
great song fantastic performer!! she really is the first lady of musikal theatre.
@stephensmith6810
Fantastic
@nina69sin
I think this is from her 40th anniversary dvd, recorded during her tour in 2008. in Sydney I think.
@marythomson6951
I love this added song to Chess when it came to Broadway, without Elaine of course. She does great justice to it in her 40th anniversary concert run, DVD as stated was filmed in Sydney where the CD was recorded in Dublin.
@randalllaue4042
Treasure.
@SCLegacyPhD
LOVE Her! So fortunate to see her perform this in London. But disastrous plastic surgery. So Sad!
@onbe804
chess is elaine-tommy-murray !
no one else !
@Clavinovaman
Hm, musically Chess is Benny,