Hi All, Rebecca here, with your Dramaturg’s Notebook of Information following the win of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON win last week.
Since the 1930s, a Pulitzer Prize has been awarded to a musical once per decade in the category of Pulitzer Prize for Drama. When reviewing these winners, please note that we are counting each decade as “1931-1940, 1941-1950, 1951-1960…” and so on. Further explanation? South Pacific opened in 1949. Due to the timeline of nominations and Pulitzer announcements, it received its Pulitzer in 1950.
Here’s a quick breakdown, decade by decade:
1931-1940
Of Thee I Sing – 1932
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind
Quick Plot: Lampooning musical revolving around American politics; follow John P. Wintergreen, as he runs for President, on the platform of “Love.”
Clip Below: Papermill Playhouse of New Jersey 2012 Montage Video from Of Thee I Sing
1941-1950
South Pacific – 1950
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan
Quick Plot: Musical centering around the 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener.
Clip Below: Montage of songs from 1958 film South Pacific
1951-1960
Fiorello! – 1960
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Book by Jerome Weidman and George Abbot
Quick Plot: Musical revolving around reform Republican Fiorello H. LaGuardia as he takes on the political machine known as Tammany Hall.
Clip Below: NYU Steinhardt’s production of Fiorello! September , 2012
1961-1970
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – 1962
Music by Frank Loesser
Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert
Quick Plot: Musical revolving J. Pierrepont Finch and his rise to the chairman of the board of wthe World Wide Wicket Company
Clip Below: Daniel Radcliffe performs “Brotherhood of Man” on the 2011 Tony Awards broadcast.
1971-1980
A Chorus Line – 1976
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante
Quick Plot: Based on the true stories of performers’ and choreographers’ decisions to become professional dancers
Clip Below: A Chorus Line 1976 Tony Awards (“I Hope I Get It”- Company)
1981-1990
Sunday in the Park with George – 1985
Music by Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Quick Plot: Musical inspired by George Seurat and his painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”
Clip Below: 1984 Tony Awards, Sunday in the Park with George
1991-2000
Rent – 1996
Music, Lyrics, and Book by Jonathan Larson
Quick Plot: Loosely based on Puccini’s opera La Boheme, musical revolves around young artists struggling in New York City
Clip Below: 1996 Tony Performance
2001-2010
Next to Normal – 2010
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Book by Brian Yorkey
Quick Plot: Musical revolving around the struggles of a family member with bipolar disorder and the effects this illness has on those in her family
Clip Below: 2009 Tony Performance
2011-
Hamilton – 2016
Music, Lyrics, and Book by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Quick Plot: The life and death of Alexander Hamilton
Clip Below: Broadway.com’s Montage of Hamilton
BONUS CLIP:
“What I Did For Love”
Hamilton cast honors A Chorus Line on the anniversary of their first performance at The Public Theatre in NYC