Norbert Leo Butz

Wicked's First Prince Fiyero

Winner of 2005 Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, and Drama League Awards.

Norbert Leo Butz and Idina Menzel singing "As Long As You're Mine" in Wicked - photo by Joan Marcus

Norbert Leo Butz will return to Broadway November, 2007 in Is He Dead?, billed as a new comedy by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives.

Hear him on the Wicked cast album singing "Dancing Through Life" and "As Long As You're Mine"

Like his love interest in Wicked, Idina Menzel, Butz starred in Rent on Broadway. The Tony-nominated actor wowed critics and audiences for his performance in Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years and is featured on the cast recording.

Hear him on the cast album for his award-winning role in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

album cover Enjoy his acclaimed performance in The Last 5 Years (2002 Off-Broadway Cast) (Amazon.com)

(Jason Robert Brown Karaoke - includes songs from The Last 5 Years)

Butz performs on the cast album for Thou Shalt Not: Original Broadway Cast... [new browser window]

Watch him dance:

The DVD version of this landmark PBS documentary about Broadway includes, among others, bonus features: "Wicked: The Road to Broadway" (16 minutes) and rehearsal of "For Good." These were not part of the PBS broadcast. Enjoy interview clips with Norbert and watch him dance while rehearsing "Which Way's the Party," a number used in San Francisco but cut before Broadway.

Broadway - The American Musical - DVD $44.99 Amazon.com

Also includes several minutes with stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in rehearsal, on stage, and backstage.

What's next?

Two-time Tony Award winner Michael Blakemore (Copenhagen, Kiss Me, Kate) will direct Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) in the 1898 comedy Is He Dead? Broadway's Lyceum Theatre starting Nov. 8 toward a Nov. 29 opening, 2007. The play is about the art world. Additional casting will be announced.

Bio - Credits

Broadway: Rent, Thou Shalt Not (Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Award nominations).

Off-Broadway: Underwood Theatre, Buicks (Drama Desk nomination), The Last Five Years (Drama Desk nomination, Drama League Award), Saved (Theatre for a New Audience, Robert Woodruff, director), Juno and the Paycock (Roundabout). He originated the role of the Emcee in the first national tour of Cabaret, directed by Rob Marshall, for which he received Helen Hayes, Dora, and Joseph Jefferson awards. He earned a BFA, Webster University. MFA, Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Wicked Original Broadway Cast Album Track List courtesy of Decca Broadway:

Hear Norbert Leo Butz performing as Fiyero

1. NO ONE MOURNS THE WICKED - Glinda and Citizens of Oz
2. DEAR OLD SHIZ - Glinda and Students
3. THE WIZARD AND I - Morrible, Elphaba
4. WHAT IS THIS FEELING? - Glinda, Elphaba and Students
5. SOMETHING BAD - Dr. Dillamond and Elphaba
6. DANCING THROUGH LIFE - Fiyero, Glinda, Boq, Nessarose, Elphaba and Students
7. POPULAR - Glinda
8. I'M NOT THAT GIRL - Elphaba
9. ONE SHORT DAY - Glinda, Elphaba and Denizens of the Emerald City
10. A SENTIMENTAL MAN - The Wizard
11. DEFYING GRAVITY - Elphaba, Glinda, Guards and Citizens of Oz
12. THANK GOODNESS - Glinda, Morrible and Citizens of Oz
13. WONDERFUL - The Wizard, Elphaba
14. I'M NOT THAT GIRL (reprise) - Glinda
15. AS LONG AS YOU'RE MINE - Elphaba and Fiyero
16. NO GOOD DEED - Elphaba
17. MARCH OF THE WITCH HUNTERS - Boq and Citizens of Oz
18. FOR GOOD - Glinda and Elphaba
19. FINALE - All

Links to interviews, etc. Read about Norbert Leo Butz

MP3 - An Interview with Norbert Leo Butz is available online at the American Theatre Wing.

http://www.americantheatrewing.org/blog/

Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz talks about his first reaction on being approached about appearing in a "new" Mark Twain play, Is He Dead?, and about the construction of farce and how David Ives crafted the version of the play currently on Broadway; recalls his classical training at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; marvels at the good fortune that landed him in the company of Rent only two weeks after moving to New York; considers the experience of appearing in the critically unpopular Harry Connick musical Thou Shalt Not; describes the feeling of playing a character in The Last Five Years based on composer Jason Robert Brown — with Brown often directly behind him as he sang; recounts the loss of a song for Fiyero when Wicked was out of town in San Francisco and how he worked with Stephen Schwartz in choosing a replacement; and delineates the difference between performing in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with John Lithgow and his successor, Jonathan Pryce. Original airdate - January 11, 2008.

Playbill.com Leading Men article [new browser window]

John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz on their juicy roles in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. (Theatremania)

Norbert Leo Butz - on Panel discussion American Theatre Wing site - link to streaming video of Spring 2005 discussion as part of their WORKING IN THE THEATRE
SEMINARS.

Norbert page on Broadwayworld.com

NYPost interview Feb, 2005

2002 playbill.com/celebritybuzz [new browser window]

Read more about Wicked's Score and Cast Album

To find out about Wicked, get ticket information, etc. follow links on MusicalSchwartz.com's Wicked home page