November 17, 2008 (Vol. 8, No. 7)

Professor Receives Prestigious ASCAPLUS Award For His Work in Musical Theatre

Lehman Journalism, Communication, and Theatre Professor William M. Hoffman has received a prestigious ASCAPLUS Award for the sixth consecutive year in recognition of his outstanding work in musical theatre as a librettist and lyricist.

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) appointed an independent panel to judge the unique prestige value of each writer's catalog of original compositions, as well as recent performances in areas not surveyed by ASCAP. Panelists included JoAnn Falletta, conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony Orchestras; H. Robert Reynolds, professor emeritus, University of Michigan; and Steve Smith, music editor for Time Out NY and classical music critic for The New York Times.

Professor Hoffman's works include a masque titled "The Cows of Apollo," an opera titled "Morning Star," and the libretto to "The Ghosts of Versailles," which was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera and composed by Lehman College Distinguished Professor of Music John Corigliano.

On January 23, 2009, Professor Hoffman's play "Cornbury" will open at the Hudson Guild Theatre in New York. "The Ghosts of Versailles," which premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991, will be produced for the third time at the Met in 2010 and travel to such locations as Ireland and British Columbia.

Professor Hoffman is the author of the Broadway play As Is, which earned him a Drama Desk Award, an Obie Award, and Tony and Pulitzer Prize nominations for best play. He is the host of "Conversations," a televised program that airs on CUNY-TV and features discussions with major musical and theatre figures. Past guests include playwright Edward Albee, opera star Regina Resnik, and Peter Gelb, director of the Metropolitan Opera.

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