The musical Next to Normal was recently announced as the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in drama. This came as a surprise to some people and was also seen as a somewhat controversial move on the part of the Pulitzer Board. This is because the board passed over all three of the official recommendations by the jury which included The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, by Kristoffer Diaz; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph.

Tourists who stay in New York may be impressed with the numerous stars that perform in these shows and the number of impressive awards and critical acclaim they receive, though they are frequently unconcerned with the politics of how the award system works.

In the case of the Pulitzer for drama, there have been some recent conflicts between the board and jury, though most of the theatre fans have only accepted the results and also have frequently celebrated them. This is largely due to the standard status quo structure of the award, which typically means that it goes to a mainstream attractive play. And with the case of Next to Normal, the issue seems less to do with the fact that it was this particular show that one, but with the manner in which it did so is what is troubling to some. Some of the controversy is due to the fact it was not part of the original choices of the jury as well as that many of the board members who ultimately chose this show saw it the night before the final vote was made.

Next to Normal is playing at the Booth Theatre on West 45th Street and opened about one year ago on April 15 of 2009. The show is a face paced musical that deals with the crisis faced by one family who is dealing with some mental health issues. The show is a riveting sound and spectacle experience and the stage is structured so that the action takes place on three stories. The set serves as a home, a doctor’s office and also a school. Audiences typically walk away from this show feeling a strong sense of having been entertained as well as exploring various thoughts that were inspired by some of the issues and circumstances that are presented. Meanwhile the music is engaging and the lyrics are smart and memorable.