Tony Award-Winner Norbert Leo Butz Launches New Broadway Concert Series At Theatre Raleigh

Theatre Raleigh will kick off its new TR in Concert series with a June 23 performance by two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz.

The new concert series will feature Tony Award winners, Broadway stars and local and regional singers at the North Raleigh nonprofit theater known for its professional productions of musicals and dramas starring national, regional and local talent.

"I spent many years in New York City where you could go to a club like Birdland or 54 Below to see your favorite Broadway star in a more intimate setting. It is so special to see performers of that caliber revealing themselves by sharing stories and song. I am so excited to start the TR In Concert series to offer the same experience to our Raleigh audiences," said Lauren Kennedy Brady, Theatre Raleigh's producing artistic director.

She added: "Norbert Leo Butz is the real deal. I was lucky enough to star opposite him in the world premiere production of 'The Last Five Years' in 2001. He is one of the most inspiring actors I have ever encountered with an incredible voice and stellar musicianship. If you are able to snag a ticket for this show, it is going to be so awesome to witness his genius up close and personal in our intimate space.”

Butz is one of only nine actors to have won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical twice as lead actor. The star of 11 Broadway shows won for his performances in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and "Catch Me If You Can." He also was nominated for a Tony Award for his performances in "Thou Shalt Not" and "My Fair Lady." He is also a five-time Drama Desk Award nominee and a two-time winner. He soon will be seen in the new season of "Justified: City Primeval" and the new "Exorcist" reboot from director David Gordon Green.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. June 23 concert featuring Butz cost $35-$100. To buy tickets, go to https://theatreraleigh.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/#/. 

Other upcoming TR in Concert performances include:

• Tony Award winner Rachel Bay Jones, who won in 2017 for playing the mother in "Dear Evan Hansen" on July 7.
• Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis, who was nominated for his performance of "Porgy and Bess," on Nov. 3.

Theatre Raleigh Arts Center is located at 6638 Old Wake Forest Road, between Atlantic Ave and Capital Blvd. For more information, go to theatreraleigh.com. 

Theatre Raleigh is a professional, non-profit theater company based in Raleigh, N.C. dedicated to inclusion and diversity and enriching our community through innovative and intimate theatrical experiences. Theatre Raleigh's origins date back to 2005 when K.D. Kennedy Jr., and his son, Michael, started a Hot Summer Nights theater series at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Kennedy's daughter, Broadway star Lauren Kennedy Brady, took over as artistic director in 2008. Brady studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and performed on Broadway ("Sunset Boulevard," "Side Show," "Les Miserables," "Spamalot" and more). Brady uses her Broadway connections to bring in top talent for the company's shows. In June 2020, Brady moved the theater company to North Raleigh. She raised more than $500,000 as part of an ongoing $1 million capital campaign to convert an 18,000-square-foot space into a hub for performing arts. The centerpiece of the new location is the De Ann S. Jones Main Stage, a 3,600-square stage with technical balconies, a sprung floor and flexible seating, which opened in August 2022. Theatre Raleigh Arts Center is located at 6638 Old Wake Forest Road, between Atlantic Ave and Capital Blvd. For tickets and more information: theatreraleigh.com.