NEXT TO NORMAL wins Pulitzer Prize for Drama

[Yankeefan007]

Congrats to Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey.

"Awarded to “Next to Normal,” music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, a powerful rock musical that grapples with mental illness in a suburban family and expands the scope of subject matter for musicals. (Moved into contention by the Board within the Drama category.)"

The finalists:

"The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" by Kristoffer Diaz (soon to play 2nd Stage) - "a play invoking the exaggerated role-playing of professional wrestling to explore themes from globalization to ethnic stereotyping, as the audience becomes both intimate insider and ringside spectator"

"Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" by Rajiv Joseph, "a play about the chaotic Iraq war that uses a network of characters, including a caged tiger, to ponder violent, senseless death, blending social commentary with tragicomic mayhem"

"In the Next Room or the vibrator play" by Sarah Ruhl, "an inventive work that mixes comedy and drama as it examines the medical practice of a 19th century American doctor and confronts questions of female sexuality and emancipation."

http://www.pulitzer.org/

[jacobtsf]

I just came on to post this. DID NOT see this one coming, at all, but good for them.

[bjh2114]

Ugh, really? What a letdown. The five seconds of book and Yorkey's terrible lyrics do not deserve this.

I am happy for them, but sad for the rest of the amazing work this year.

[HeyMrMusic]

I didn't know it was even eligible this year. Hmm... don't know how I feel about this.

~Steven

[HeyMrMusic]

In the Next Room was a finalist. Next Fall and Horton Foote were not.

~Steven

[ABB2357]

"Ugh, really?" pretty much sums up how I feel too.

[jv92]

Glad to see a musical win, but slightly disapointed it was this one. In my opinion, The Scottsboro Boys was the superior musical that should have won. In any event, congratulations to Kitt and Yorkey.

[Paul W. Thompson]

It's the first musical to win since "Rent." A 14 year gap. Congrats!!

[harris007]

Take that billy Elliot

[uncageg]

I have only listened to it twice and just wasn't impressed. I have not seen the show but it may be here during the tour. So based on what I have heard, I don't see why it won. But maybe I need to experience it in a theatre.

[jagfkb]

I feel bad for Foote or Next fall not even getting nominated, but congrats to Next to Normal!!! Finally, ths ifrst time in 13 years that a musical has won!!!

[newintown]

What a bore. Ditto the other letters & drama awards (the Cornelius Vanderbilt book wasn't bad, but there were much, much better this year).

[jv92]

The Booth is a lucky theatre for musical Pulitzer winners- Sunday in the Park with George also played there when it won in 1985. That just popped into my head.

[Roscoe]

I'm in the "meh" camp about N2N winning, but I'm really appalled that the idiotic IN THE NEXT ROOM was a finalist.

[After Eight]

I'm quite surprised by this.

I liked "Next to Normal," but a Pulitzer Prize winner? I don't think so. I'm very surprised that "The Orphans' Home Cycle" wasn't even a finalist. I felt it should have won.

But I am thrilled to see that the dreadful "Circle Mirror Transfomations" wasn't the winner, or even a finalist. I thought for sure that that was going to win the prize.

So that's one good thing about this choice.

[jv92]

Foote's Cycle wasn't even a finalist? Wow.

[singtopher]

Well I, for one, am ecstatic over this. I am surprised though because I didn't think it was eligible anymore.

And this just popped into my head: RENT was also directed by Grief.

[MiracleElixir]

Regarding the above posts: Seriously? When did everyone evolve into "Next to Normal" haters?

Whatever, I'm thrilled. Up there with "Caroline, or Change" for best musical(s) of the past decade as far as I'm concerned. Couldn't be happier.

[givesmevoice]

harris007, although they stretched the rules for Ruined, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama is awarded "for a distinguished play by an American playwright, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life." Billy Elliot wasn't written by Americans, and certainly doesn't deal with American life.

[BroadwayGuy12]

I'm surprised. I wasn't even aware it was in the running. I'm very pleased for them, though. I love the show and am happy that it has received so much success.

I do wish NEXT FALL had been a finalist, and I hope ORPHAN'S HOME still plans to come to Broadway despite not being recognized. I would love to see it.

[somethingwicked]

What's interesting is that, according to the citation, the Pulitzer committee didn't even have NEXT TO NORMAL on their shortlist and either picked one of the other nominees or opted for no award this year at all.

The Pulitzer Board stepped in and overruled them.

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2010-Drama

[MichaelUK92]

givesmevoice. Indeed about Billy. And it's rubbish. :P

[Elke]

Didn't see this coming, but still: well deserved! Congrats to the N2N team.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Congratulations to them! That's amazing...totally unexpected, but amazing.

[Luscious]

It should have gone to YANK.