Albert Hague

American songwriter (1920–2001)

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Albert Hague

Hague, c. 1982

Born|

Albert Marcuse

October 13, 1920

Berlin, Germany

Died| November 12, 2001(2001-11-12) (aged 81)

Marina del Rey, California, U.S.

Alma mater| University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music
Occupations|

* Songwriter
* actor

Spouse|

Renee Orin

(m. 1951; died 2000)​

Children| 2

Albert Hague (born Albert Marcuse, October 13, 1920 - November 12, 2001) was a German–born American songwriter and actor.

## Early life

[edit]

Hague was born 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.[1] His family considered their Jewish heritage a liability and raised him as a Lutheran[2] (although he would later embrace his Jewish heritage after coming to the United States).[3] Shortly before he was to be inducted into the Hitler Youth, he and his mother fled to Rome.[2] Hague came to America in 1939 after his sister, who lived in Ohio, got him a musical scholarship at the University of Cincinnati.[2] However, as he did not have a legal immigration status to be in the country, he was adopted by an eye surgeon associated with the university. After graduating in 1942, he served in the United States Army's special service band during World War II.[2][4]

## Career

[edit]

Hague's Broadway musicals include Plain and Fancy (1955),[5] Redhead (1959),[6] Cafe Crown (1964),[7] and The Fig Leaves Are Falling (1969, with lyrics by Allan Sherman).[8]

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 and some songs in the 2000 musical version.[9] 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.[10] Hague also played a small role in the movie Space Jam (1996), as the psychiatrist that the professional basketball players go to when they lose their "skill".[11]

Hague and his wife Renee occasionally presented a cabaret act, first as "Hague and Hague: His Hits and His Mrs." and later, in 1998, under the title "Still Young and Foolish".[12] They played at Carnegie Hall, the Cinegrill in Los Angeles, and Eighty Eight's in Manhattan.[13]

Hague was a member of The Lambs where he often taught musical theatre to members.[14]

## Personal life and death

[edit]

His wife, Renee Orin, an actress and singer, with whom he often collaborated, died, aged 73, in August 2000 from lymphoma.[15] They had been married since 1951.[2] They had two children. Albert Hague died at age 81 from cancer[16] at a hospital in Marina del Rey, California in November 2001.[2]

## Filmography

[edit]

Film

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes
1980 | Fame | Shorofsky |
1983 | Nightmares | Mel Keefer | (segment "Night of the Rat")
1996 | Space Jam | Psychiatrist |
1996 | Playing Dangerous 2 | Professor Agranoff |
1999 | The Story of Us | Dr. Siegler | (final film role)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Albert Hague Biography (1920-2001)". www.filmreference.com.
2. ^ a b c d e f "Albert Hague, 81, a Composer and Actor". The New York Times. November 15, 2001.
3. ^ "All those Holiday/Christmas Songs: So Many Jewish Songwriters!". Jewish World Review. December 22, 2014.
4. ^ Shirley, Don. "Albert Hague, 81; 'Fame' Teacher Wrote Scores for Broadway, TV" Los Angeles Times, November 16, 2001
5. ^ "Plain and Fancy: Broadway". www.playbillvault.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
6. ^ "Redhead': Broadway". www.playbillvault.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
7. ^ "Cafe Crown: Broadway". www.playbillvault.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
8. ^ "The Fig Leaves Are Falling: Broadway". www.playbillvault.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
9. ^ "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
10. ^ "Fame: Film Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
11. ^ "Space Jam". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
12. ^ "Albert Hague and Renee Orin: Still "Young and Foolish" in NY Cabaret Act". www.playbill.com. November 2, 1998.
13. ^ "Albert Hague, 'Grinch' and Redhead Composer, Is Dead". www.playbill.com. November 15, 2001.
14. ^ "The Lambs Club, established 1874". www.the-lambs.org. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
15. ^ "Renee Orin, 73, Actress in Broadway Musicals". New York Times. August 30, 2000.
16. ^ "Celebrity Obituaries at Grave Hunter". www.gravehunter.net. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2008.

## External links

[edit]

* Biography portal

* Albert Hague at IMDb
* Albert Hague at the Internet Broadway Database
* Albert Hague at the Internet Off-Broadway Database (archived)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Czech Republic
* Spain
* Netherlands
* Latvia
* Poland
* Israel
* Belgium

Artists|

* MusicBrainz
* LexM

People|

* Trove
* DDB

Other|

* SNAC
* Yale LUX

*[c.]: circa
*[m.]: married