| musicals that should/could have had Pulitzer citation | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 04:36 am EST 11/15/22 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 04:22 am EST 11/15/22 | |
| In reply to: Clarifying something that was perhaps not clear enough - AlanScott 09:25 pm EST 11/14/22 | |
|
|
|
| You were not unclear, don't worry. My list was of shows *I* personally think should have been finalists, if not deserving to win -- which of course depends on what else was eligible that year (including what did win). And Caroline or Change is not only one of the most Pulitzery type musicals I can image ever being written… but it was also conceived and written by recent Pulitzer star writer Kushner, future double finalist Tesori, and it was developed by George Wolfe for The Public… As for the rest on the list, some are more deserving of this specific award recognition than others, or the omission of some is much more egregious than others, but all I think fit the qualifications. Here are the shows I think deserved Pulitzer recognition win a win or published rank as a finalist — musicals that have a combination of being in some notable way about the American experience and have a high enough level of quality in writing and creativity as musical plays (possible flaws or messiness acknowledged as not a dealbreaker for a Pulitzer at all)… The award is given "For a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life"... though I acknowledge many of these are not "original" in that they're adapted from something, but several musicals that won are: Hamilton, Rent, How to Succeed, South Pacific. Also listed is what did win that year and in parenthesis are the finalists when made public. If I’m off on what year something was eligible, please correct me. In reverse chronological order: THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS - opened 2010 >> 2011 Award: Clybourne Park (A Free Man of Color, Detroit) ADDING MACHINE - opened in Chicago 2007 >> 2008 Award: August Osage County (Dying City, Yellow Face) *may have been eligible/submitted off the 2008 off-Bway premiere; 2009 Award: Ruined (Becky Shaw, In the Heights) GREY GARDENS - opened 2006 off-bway >> 2007 Award: Rabbit Hole (Bulrushes, Elliot a Soldier’s Fugue, Orpheus X) *or if it would have eligible/submitted off its 2007 Broadway opening (despite getting Lortell/Obie eligibility for off-bway), the 2008 Award: August Osage County (Dying City, Yellow Face) See What I Wanna See -- opened 2005 >> 2006 Award: No Award (finalists: Miss Witherspoon, Red Light Winter, The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow) **not in caps because it's not really on my list, but adding it in because I think it’s a great piece that is specifically about the American experience, and the year it’s eligible there was no award given — I think I’d have given it to SWIWS over at least 2 of the finalists). So maybe it is on my list. Frankly I’d have also put Bernarda Alba as finalist-worthy, but I don’t think it’s blatantly about America enough, so I’m not including it, and it stands little change in 2007 against Rabbit Hole) CAROLINE OR CHANGE - opened 2003 >> 2004 Award: I Am My Own Wife (Man from Nebraska, Onmium Gatherum) *if it was eligible/submitted off its 2004 Broadway opening, the 2005 Award: Doubt (The Clean House, Thom Pain (based on nothing)) THE WILD PARTY (LaChiusa) - opening 2000 >> 2001 Award: Proof (The Play About the Baby, The Waverly Gallery) PARADE - opened 1998 >> 1999 Award: Wit (Running Man, Side Man) HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH - opened 1998 >> 1999 Award: Wit (Running Man, Side Man) RAGTIME - opened 1998 >> 1999 Award: Wit (Running Man, Side Man) *unless it was eligible for 1997, it premiered in LA in June 1997 and then opened on broadway in January 1998. 1998 Award: How I Learned to Drive (Freedomland, Three Days of Rain) TITANIC - opened 1997 >> 1998 Award: How I Learned to Drive (Freedomland, Three Days of Rain) FLOYD COLLINS - opened off-bway 1996 >> 1997 Award: no award given. Finalists: Collected Stories, Pride's Crossing, and The Last Night of Ballyhoo *unless Floyd would have been eligible from its apparent 1994 premiere in Philly, which I'd never heard of. 1995 Award: The Young Man From Atlanta (Seven Guitars, The Cryptogram) FALSETTOS - opened 1992 >> 1993 Award: Angels in America (Fires in the Mirror, The Destiny of Me) *assuming it was eligible as one full new musical, given that the 2 one-acts it's made up of are largely the same as when they premiere as solos, years earlier. ASSASSINS - opened 1990 >> 1991 Award: Lost In Yonkers (Prelude to a Kiss, Six Degrees of Separation) DREAMGIRLS - opened 1981 >> 1982 Award: A Soldier’s Play CHICAGO - opened 1975 >> 1976 Award: A Chorus Line FOLLIES - opened 1971 >> 1972 Award: No Award Given (1776 - opened 1969 - The Great White Hope) -- in parenthesis because it's mentioned in this thread, but not my personal pick for needing a Pulitzer. However I’m confused… based on Alan Scott’s post about the history of the award and this year, 1776 was in the mix with The Great White Hope. However, it opened in 1969, wouldn’t it be eligible for 1970? GWH opened in 1967 actually, but there was no award given for 1968… confusing me even more. But if I’m right, 1776 would have been competing against the 1970 Winner: No Place to Be Somebody HAIR - opened on Broadway 1968 >> 1969 Winner: The Great White Hope *it may have been eligible in 1967 instead when it premiered off-Broadway, and in 1968 the was No Award Given. **especially ironic there was no Pulitzer given in 1968 since when it competed for Tonys in 1969, the Tonys eliminated Best Score and Best Book categories, and with many worthy scores to compete! I do think Hair would have walked away with it even over 1776, Zorba, Promises Promises, Dear World (and also eligible Maggie Flynn, The Fig Leaves are Falling, Canterbury Tales) GYPSY - opened 1959 >> 1960 Award: Fiorello WEST SIDE STORY - opened 1957 >> 1958 Award: Look Homeward, Angel CAROUSEL - opened 1945 >> 1946 Award: State of the Union PORGY AND BESS - opened 1935 >> 1936 Award: Idiots Delight SHOW BOAT - opened 1927 >> 1928 Award: Strange Interlude *I took Oklahoma off the list because I was made aware that it received a special citation... however, the year it was eligible, 1944, no award for drama was given. |
|
| reply | |
|
|
|
| Previous: | Clarifying something that was perhaps not clear enough - AlanScott 09:25 pm EST 11/14/22 |
| Next: | re: musicals that should/could have had Pulitzer citation - AlanScott 05:19 am EST 11/15/22 |
| Thread: |
|
Time to render: 0.012200 seconds.