Norbert Leo Butz is the most fantastic man alive! — Page 2

I know exactly how you feel! I'm so in love with him! I think he is the most talented, sexiest, man on Broadway! I adore him and I'm soooooo glad that you had the chance to see him. I saw "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" when Sherie Rene Scott left. I was sitting in the front row and I was in heaven!

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I went today to the final matinee here in Hollywood and am glad I did. I almost didn't because I had bought a ticket to see him and Pryce in NYC a month and a half ago but Butz didn't show up that night and I felt burned by that. And as much as I looked forward to seeing Pryce, I have to say that Pryce trying to be funny was actually unfunny. I couldn't buy him as a sophisticate, and the first time he appeared on stage I kept thinking "You're supposed to be polished, can't you comb that unruly hair?"

Anyway, I gave in after hearing so many great things about Leo's performance that I bought a ticket today and saw it here in L.A. Butz was funny and worth seeing the show again (I don't consider it a great show, but it is good). Tom Hewitt was excellent, much better than Pryce and much more believable in the part. Hewitt even reminded me of Jack Cassidy (who would have been excellent in the show). I am glad I can say I got to see Butz, finally. The only downside was the casting of Christine (Laura Marie Duncan), Muriel (Hollis Resnick), Jolene (Jenifer Foote), and Andre (Drew McVety). None of them appealed much to me. I preferred those I saw in NYC (even Lucie Arnaz as Muriel). And I may be wrong but I think the sets were downsized from my memory of seeing it in NYC (wasn't Muriel actually up on a set of a balcony above the stage instead of on a "balcony" that was flat on the stage?)

Updated On: 8/28/06 at 02:15 AM

This might have to do with the fact that is now touring? I saw the show Sat night and loved it. Not the best lyrics but it was enjoyable. Butz did such a great performance oh man such energy!!

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Saw it last night. Agree Norbert was terrific. Liked Tom Hewitt very much and thought Laura Marie Duncan was fine. Had big problems with the Andre and the Jolene. She was pretty weak and swallowed a lot of her lyrics, and he was affecting an accent that also made him hard to understand. That's not wise with David Yazbeck's stuff. There were also serious mic problems last night, and this was the last night of the LA run so they really should have ironed those out at that point. The sets were definitely puny and travel-sized. There were some fun improv moments where you could see they were cracking each other up. I never saw it in NYC so wonder if when it was Norbert and Lithgow if the show was more balanced? Good as Tom Hewitt was, it's now definitely "The Norbert Show."