D'Amboise and Butz Win 2005 TDF / Astaire Awards

[Rob]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 11:49am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/l.cfm?id=72917

[DAME]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 11:56am

Very Happy for Charlotte. A true broadway trooper.

[freelancer]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 12:04pm

Hurrah for all us spastic dancers! Norbert - proof that you don't have to be graceful to dance.

[broadway betty]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 12:24pm

I love that Norbert won this. His "movements" are hysterical! I bet he let out a chuckle when he heard the news. His bookshelf is getting mighty crowded.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 12:57pm

Wha? How on earth did Butz win?

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:00pm

that's ridiculous for norbert, great for charlotte.

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:13pm

I wonder why Chita didn't win for The Rink? I saw her dance in that show and she was incredible. She always is, but she was very strong.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:16pm

Can someone tell me somewhere where I can hear what D'Amboise's singing voice sounds like?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:17pm

You could try "limewire"

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:21pm

Speaking of Charlotte. Does anyone remember her dance tribute to her dad at his Kennedy Center Honors? She did a fun choreography with her brother and I think it was to the music of "Let's Misbehave."

[NBC]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:40pm

D'Amboise is on the Jerome Robbins' Broadway cast recording, singing the Peter Pan and Anita roles...and she sings a bit on You Could Drive a Person Crazy on the 1995 Company revival cd.

She is more of a dancer who sings, though, than vice versa.

[timote316]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 1:58pm

I have three letters concerning both:

YAY for Charlotte
WTF? for Norbert

Either way, good for the both of them. I think Norbert is going to need a new display case after his run is over.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:00pm

I think it's really hilarious that Norbert won. But really, out of this season, who else is going to get it?

And I truly think that is an awesome way to acknowledge Charlotte, she definitely deserves it. It's too bad she can't get a Tony...

[Plum]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:05pm

ShuQ- why not give it to one of the Cagelles or something? And if they chose not to give a choreographer award, they can choose not to give it to a male dancer, either. Butz had a lot of movement, but I think Lithgow danced more than him in DRS.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:31pm

i think giving it someone like andy pellick would have been a completely valid, and better choice.

[mikem]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:51pm

I loved Norbert in DRS, but I have to agree that it's astonishing that anyone thinks that he performed any dancing worthy of an award. It says something about the state of dancing on Broadway today that I can't think of any other viable options for either male or female dancer. (I agree that the collective Cagelles award would have made more sense -- I wonder if the committee had thought of that.)

Posted: 5/20/05 at 3:08pm

i havent seen DRS, but I wasnt under the impression there was a lot of dance in it?? I wouldve expected someone from La Cage too.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 3:12pm

wait, i just reread the article and does everyone realize that charlotte didn't win best female dancer? they generally have three awards:
best choreographer
best male dancer
best female dancer

the only one of those three that they gave out this year was best male dancer and it was to norbert! charlotte got a special honor award acknowledging her benefitting broadway during the 2004-2005 season (playing roxie and charity)... but she didn't get female dancer. i mean last year they gave it to kathleen marshall, hugh jackman and donna murphy, all deserving. this year they only give one and it's to norbert? give me a break. jerry mitchell and his cagelles deserve this more than anyone else mentioned. this is bs.

[neelyohara]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 3:36pm

YAY for Charlotte.

[Plum]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 3:52pm

Oh wow. The only "dancer" they saw as worthy of an award was Butz? I mean, really? He did a lot of jumping around in "Great Big Stuff" and "All About Ruprecht" and maybe some dancing in "Dirty Rotten Number," but for heaven's sake he spent a good portion of Act II in a wheelchair. At least Lithgow had "The More We Dance"; give the award to him.
Updated On: 5/20/05 at 03:52 PM

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 4:02pm

Believe it or not, DRS has a lot of dancing it it... and it was choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Most of the dancing is done by the ensemble, although Norbert and Sherie and Norbert and John have some great dance numbers. I was kind of surprised about Norbert's nomination, but he had such great physical comedy that must have something to do with it.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 4:07pm

i know, but wickedone, then they should have rewarded mitchell (for both la cage and drs this season!) or the ensemble. i've seen the show, and norbert does not qualify as best male dancer on broadway 2004-2005. especially compared to others on broadway, others in his show! (both john and greg do more dancing than norbert) and past recipients (his performance does not stand near ones in recent memory, dance-wise!)... it is ludicrous. and not giving out any female awards? i mean, surely christina applegate is not the best dancer on broadway, but she's sure doing a hell of a lot more than norbert leo butz.

now i do think he should win the tony, but this award is ridiculous. give it to someone who actually dances.

[justme2]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 4:12pm

Why would they NOT give a choreographer award? I agree with apdarcey that Jerry Mitchell would certainly have been a possibility.

Is this a case of the committee having to agree that the choregraphy was so absolutely stunning that it deserves to be called out, and they don't feel that Mitchell's choreography was of that caliber?

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 4:14pm

it's a case of a committee not wanting to recognize a production they deemed not great. they only thought la cage was ok. thus they take away all merits it deserves.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 4:17pm

really, i'm very irrationally upset about this. especially after i read that charlotte's wasn't even the real award, it was just a little special mention. if they had given her the real award i would've said ok. but no. they decided the only person qualified to receive an astaire award was someone that doesn't even dance in his current show. that is just an insult to every single dancer and choreographer on broadway past or present. i'm really disgusted in this.