The revival while not awful was not as wonderful as the original.
I agree they gave the Tony for best revival to WOODS that year to make up for not giving it best musical in 1988. Seeing te revivals of OKLAHOMA! and INTO THE WOODS back to back I would have to say I thought OKLAHOMA! was the better of the two.
Seeing WOODS and POTO back to back in January 1988 I felt that WOODS was easily teh better of the two. I have seen a dozen productions since and always enjoy it. I could barely sit through POTO once.
Lots of smash hot long running shows do not win Tonys: GREASE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, MISS SAIGON. The Tonys are not sold just on Box Office success. POTO had a spectacular stage design and direction (like LION KING) but the awards for Best Book and Best Score went to WOODS indicating that the voters felt WOODS was the better written show. (and IMHO, it is!) I think that is why I like it better. I am not one sucked in by scenery (and I flatly refuse to applaud scene changes no matter how well executed.)
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com