Albert Hague
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Although he achieved late-in-life fame as the white bearded, bespectacled and eccentric Professor Shorofsky in both the film and TV series "Fame," Albert Hague had already achieved success as a composer for stage and screen. When one considers that he spoke no English when he arrived in the USA in 1939 as an emigre from Germany, his success is quite amazing. He was born Albert Marcuse in Berlin, the son of a psychiatrist and a chess champion, who was a musical prodigy. By the time his family had settled in America and he had been adopted by his stepfather, Hague was concentrating on a career as a classical pianist. He studied in Rome and earned a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati. During WWII, he served in the US Army's special services band. After the war, Hague settled in NYC but it was Cleveland that saw his first produced stage show, "Reluctant Lady," in 1948. (The leading lady Renee Orin was to become Mrs. Hague.) Later that year, he debuted on Broadway with incidental music for "The Madwoman of Chaillot" but it was several years before he enjoyed his first major success, the 1955 musical "Plain and Fancy" about the Amish, which yielded the lovely standard "Young and Foolish." Hague had his biggest success with the Tony-winning murder mystery musical "Redhead" (1959). Following that, his stage career petered out, as shows like "The Fig Leaves Are Falling" (1969) and "Miss Moffatt" (1974) proved unsuccessful. Hague did have one other major achievement that is perhaps his best-known work: the score to the perennial holiday special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (originally aired on CBS in 1966).
In 1980, Hague made his film acting debut in a role that seemed tailor-made, the gruff music teacher Shorofsky in Alan Parker's "Fame" and later won legions of fans reprising the part in the TV version, which softened the character a bit. Subsequently, he has bee cast as men of learning in such efforts as "Nightmares" (1983), the CBS TV-movies "Not Just Another Affair" (1982) and "Passions" (1984) and more recently the feature "Space Jam" (1996). Although a generation of theatergoers enjoyed his compositions, and baby boomers may know his score for the "Grinch" (if not the man behind it), others will always recall him in his signature role as the eccentric music teacher in "Fame."
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Music (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1925
Began studying piano (date approximate)
1937
Left Germany from Rome
1939
Moved with family to the USA; could not speak any English when he arrived
1942
Served in the US military during WWII; was in the Special Services band
1948
Broadway debut as composer with incidental music for "The Madwoman of Chaillot"
1948
Composed first stage work, "Reluctant Lady", produced in Cincinnati
1951
Scored the film "Coney Island U.S.A."
1953
TV debut as composer "The Mercer Girls"
1955
Breakthrough Broadway musical, "Plain and Fancy"
1959
Had biggest Broadway success with "Redhead"; won Tony Award for Best Musical; lyrics written by Dorothy Fields
1964
Composed the musical score for the ill-fated stage show "Cafe Crown"
1966
Wrote the delightful musical score for the animated TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
1969
Provided the musical score for "The Fig Leaves Are Falling"
1974
Was the composer of the ill-fated stage musical "Miss Moffatt", starring Bette Davis
1980
Film acting debut as Professor Shorofsky in "Fame"
1982
TV-movie acting debut, "Not Just Another Affair" (CBS)
1986
Played "Rip Van Winkle" for "Faerie Tale Theatre" (Showtime)
1996
Appeared in "Space Jam"
Family
Companions
