For the record I wasn't saying any of the shows I listed that didn't win a Pulitzer (but I felt should have or are at least Pulitzer level musicals in terms of a mix of writing and subject) were less good that A Strange Loop. And I wasn't saying that the messy ones that won, like Rent, are lesser. I think many would say Strange Loop is better than Rent... I haven't had enough time with SL to compare and declare (i've been a big Rent fan since 1996, so it's not a fair fight, I've also had a lot of time to see and reflect on the flaws and weaknesses in Rent, but I also acknowledge the messiness of Rent is part of why it works and resonates and appeals, and I think that can be said of Strange Loop too).
I was saying that some are "messy" too... I've heard many people talk about the score to Caroline or Change in ways I could sum up with the word messy, even if it's not the perfect word.
I was just making the point that being "messy" doesn't make a show unworthy of a Pulitzer... and that many shows deserving a Pulitzer didn't get one, and they are better than some shows that have. You better believe I think Gypsy, Follies, Floyd Collins, and Caroline or Change are better and more Pulitzer-worthy than Next to Normal and even Rent. |
