I agree with most of what you write, There was surely some feeling that Herman had been overlooked in recent times while Sondheim had been honored greatly, and so the desire to honor Herman out of personal affection may have been part of it. On the other hand, between 1970 and 1984 Herman had three new shows on Broadway, while Sondheim had seven. If you do more, you have more chances of success and more chances to win awards.
As you say, many people wanted to honor a pro-gay show, the first hit musical to focus on gay leading characters.
I know that at the time — and for some people still — Sondheim's work in general and Sunday perhaps in particular are intellectual works without much emotional pull, but I've always found Sondheim's shows — and his collaborators certainly have a lot to do with this — emotionally powerful experiences. I don't think I've ever cried at a Jerry Herman show, but I have many, many times at Sondheim shows.
And I really never understand it much when people criticize a work of art for being intellectual rather than emotional. Every artist pours his feelings into his work. If a work doesn't hit someone emotionally, it doesn't mean that the work is lacking in emotion, whatever that means. How does an observer measure whether a work is emotional? It's a purely subjective judgment, which is fine, but people sometimes say it as if it's actually an objective judgment, something that is evident to everyone.
Sunday in the Park With George has always evoked strong feelings in me, while La Cage has not. But I don't go around saying that Sunday is heart while La Cage is all mind.
Just to clarify: I don't think that you're making this heart-mind distinction as something you feel, but rather as an explanation of what people felt at the time. I think you're right. People certainly said it. I just never got it.
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