For years, if you heard the song Dancing Through Life from the original Broadway cast of Wicked, you were listening to the voice of Norbert Leo Butz.
With the release of Wicked the movie, a new cast will be seen and heard on the big screen. New voices for a new generation of fans. The longevity of Wicked's success is something that comes as no surprise from St. Louis native Norbert Leo Butz. He told 5 On Your Side that he recently saw the film alongside other original cast members, and says the show is perfect for cinema.
"I thought the movie was just fantastic," Butz said, acknowledging that the director's love of the musical really showed through. "John Chu saw us the original cast in San Francisco before we even came to Broadway. I think it needed somebody who just loved the show."
Butz grew up in St. Louis, getting his musical theatre start in high school, eventually getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Webster University.
He got his start on Broadway in the musical Rent. In 2002, Butz received a Tony award for his role in Thou Shalt Not. In 2003, his career shifted even further when he became the original Fiyero in Wicked.
The show, now in its 22nd year on Broadway, has captured the hearts of fans across the globe. And for Butz, the show captured his heart in a special way.
"I met my wife on that show," Butz said.
Norbert Leo Butz married Michelle Federer in 2007 after meeting one another through the show. Federer originated the role of Nessarose in Wicked.
"I owe so much to that show," he said. "I was a young dad when I started doing it. I was newly divorced and I had two little girls and so they were raised backstage."
His admiration for the new film doesn't stop at the craftmanship of the director. He said the movie's leading ladies are what really makes the film work.
"Wicked is about a friendship between the two witches of Oz and it fails or succeeds on the strength of that chemistry of the two. Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande] are just killing it," he said.
Norbert Leo Butz hasn't slowed down in the years since he ended his run with Wicked. He would go on to star in multiple Broadway shows and most recently portrayed Bill Belichick in Aaron Hernandez: American Sports Story.
"I'm a big St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. but I have never really followed the NFL." Butz said when describing the research he did for the show. "I definitely went to boot camp for football coaching."
Fans can soon see Norbert Leo Butz on the big screen. He is starring in the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. He said being a part of it as the thrill of his life.
"Bob Dylan has always been an influence to me, huge influence to me I'm a songwriter myself so to even have a small part in this film feels like this full circle moment for me," Butz said.
The Tony Award winner and songwriter will be back in the St. Louis area in early 2025. He will perform at the Blue Strawberry in February. You can find out about that show at this link.
