While I would take issue with whether DEH has a better score than the other three (I love Great Comet and listen to it far more often than DEH) and, like Bill, have not seen the winner (nor CFA), I do think, barring one of those really unpredictable upsets, DEH had more steam and more wide appeal, for the reasons you mentioned. Like some others, I have listened a number of times to the CFA CD and just can't hang onto any of it. It's not that it's more choral, for me,, or that the style is not my cup of tea in any simple sense, it just doesn't draw me to it. I may yet see it, out of curiosity (and I realize that the seeing is what makes the production, not just listening to the music), but it somehow feels like "school" I am obliged to experience as someone who want to "complete" my Tony-season experience. I am a bit more held by the DEH score, though it is just isn't as much my kind of music (that may be somewhat generational), but the topic is simply more on everyone's mind (for good reason), it had a number of notable individual performances, including, from all I can gather, an iconic and defining one by Platt, and that tends to be add up to more awards.
I do think Karl's performance, in another year, would have easily taken home the award--it's a great combination of character development, physicality, and strong singing--almost archetypal in its musical comedy leading man qualities. |
