Ragtime vs. The Lion King

[ceebeegee]

Proposition:

The Lion King definitely deserved the Tony for Best Musical that year, since (IMO) it was the better-directed, tighter, more theatrically overwhelming piece of musical theater. (When the audience started applauding during the "Circle of Life" number, I knew right then which show would win. That number works beautifully, I wept when I finally saw the show.)

However, Ragtime should've won the Pulitzer, since it's a great example of American playwriting and tells its story better (better score, better book) than TLK. (I have no idea what won the Pulitzer that year, just saying I think Ragtime should've gotten that award instead of the Tony).

Thoughts?

Comments

[king-duncan.livejournal.com]

Columbia University, on the recommendation of The Pulitzer Prize Board, annually awards a Pulitzer Prize in drama of $10,000 "for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life."

I think because it was an adaptation, it was less likely to be considered.

Doctorow himself has won two Pulitzers, for his novels Billy Bathgate and The March, but not for Ragtime.

[ceebeegee.livejournal.com]

Interrressssting. Because South Pacific was an adaptation, as was Rent (okay, sort of) and (I believe) How to Succeed. Maybe they just decided that one-musical-per-decade slot had already been taken.

Even more interesting, now that I think of it, because as great as South Pacific is (one of my favorite musicals, and I'm one of the few who likes the movie as well), can one really say it deals with American life? It takes place in the South Pacific, and several of the main characters are non-Americans.

[dry-2olives.livejournal.com]

I think South Pacific absolutely deals with American life. It's about what happens when Americans go abroad and find their accepted morals and prejudices in conflict with those of a different culture. In 1949 you had a huge number of Americans who had returned from the war and their exposure to other cultures did affect their lives.

[dry-2olives.livejournal.com]

How to Succeed... is, in a broad sense, based on Shepherd Mead's book, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Mead's book is a humorous spoof of self-help books and the musical is an original story of how Finch uses the book to advance his career.