Albert Hague
Encyclopedia
Albert Hague was a German-born songwriter
, composer
, and actor
.
in 1939 on scholarship to the University of Cincinnati
. After graduating in 1942, he served in the United States Army Air Forces
during World War II
.
(1955), Redhead
(1959), and The Fig Leaves Are Falling
(1969, with lyrics by Allan Sherman
). Famous songs he wrote include "Young and Foolish
", "Look Who's in Love" and "Did I Ever Really Live?" He was the composer for the TV musical cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
.
He also was an actor, most notably on the TV series Fame
, where he played Benjamin Shorofsky,
the music teacher. It was a part he originated in the film of the same name. Albert Hague also played a small role in the movie Space Jam
, as the psychiatrist that the Professional Basketball players go to when they lose their "skill".
. They had been married since 1951. They had two children.
Albert Hague died at age 81 from cancer
at a hospital in Marina del Rey, California
in 2001. A widower, he is survived by his two children.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Hague was born as Albert Marcuse to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany. His father, Harry Marcuse, was a psychiatrist and a musical prodigy, and his mother, Mimi (née Heller), a chess champion. His family considered their Jewish heritage a liability and raised him as a Lutheran. Hague came to AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1939 on scholarship to the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. After graduating in 1942, he served in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Career
Hague's Broadway Musicals include Plain and FancyPlain and Fancy
Plain and Fancy is a musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn-raising and an old-fashioned country...
(1955), Redhead
Redhead (musical)
Redhead is a musical with music composed by Albert Hague and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, who with her brother, Herbert, along with Sidney Sheldon and David Shaw wrote the book/libretto...
(1959), and The Fig Leaves Are Falling
The Fig Leaves Are Falling
The Fig Leaves Are Falling is a musical with a book and lyrics by Allan Sherman and music by Albert Hague. It was inspired by Sherman's 1966 divorce following 21 years of marriage....
(1969, with lyrics by Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
). Famous songs he wrote include "Young and Foolish
Young and Foolish
"Young and Foolish" is a popular song with music by Albert Hague and lyrics by Arnold B. Horwitt, published in 1954.The song was introduced in the musical Plain and Fancy.It has been recorded by many singers...
", "Look Who's in Love" and "Did I Ever Really Live?" He was the composer for the TV musical cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a 1966 American animated television special directed by Chuck Jones. It is based on the homonymous children's book by Dr. Seuss, the story of The Grinch trying to take away Christmas from the townsfolk of Whoville below his mountain hideaway...
.
He also was an actor, most notably on the TV series Fame
Fame (1982 TV series)
Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
, where he played Benjamin Shorofsky,
the music teacher. It was a part he originated in the film of the same name. Albert Hague also played a small role in the movie Space Jam
Space Jam
Aside from Jordan, a number of NBA players and coaches appeared in the film. Larry Bird portrays a friend of Jordan who joins him for a game of golf. When the Monstars steal the NBA players' talent, they invade a game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, causing the Knicks' Patrick...
, as the psychiatrist that the Professional Basketball players go to when they lose their "skill".
Personal life and death
His wife, Renee Orin, a singer, with whom he often collaborated, died, aged 73, in 2000 from lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
. They had been married since 1951. They had two children.
Albert Hague died at age 81 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at a hospital in Marina del Rey, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 2001. A widower, he is survived by his two children.