This reminds me of the 2009 race between Billy Elliot and Next to Normal.
Billy Elliot (which was the juggernaut) was the big musical adaptation of a classic Academy Award Nominated film brought in over from London that had magnificent staging.
Next to Normal was the small original musical that transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway (with an out-of-town stop in between) that was more inventively staged.
This year's race is kind of similar.
An American in Paris is the big stage adaptation of the classic Academy Award-Winning film musical that tried out in France, which also has magnificent staging.
Fun Home is the small musical adaptation of a graphic novel which also transferred from off-Broadway to Broadway that's more inventively staged.
The main difference this year is that it's more of a horse race.