Steve On Broadway (SOB)

Butz and Pryce Flee the Scene on July 16

Butz and Pryce Flee the Scene on July 16

Bittersweet news has been announced regarding the future of one of the flat-out funniest Broadway shows around. Word comes this afternoon that Norbert Leo Butz and Jonathan Pryce will depart Dirty Rotten Scoundrels effective July 16. The hilarious pairing of Butz and Pryce has been, well, priceless and garnered praise from critics like The New York Times' Ben Brantley, who had previously been left unimpressed (with the notable exception of Butz).

With replacement casting yet to be announced, there's no denying that the departure of Tony-winner Butz could spell a similar type of box-office slide that The Producers experienced after Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick left (last week, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels played to 71.4% capacity with an average ticket price of $69.28). Butz is an incredibly gifted actor with a superb singing voice and excellent comic timing, and he has placed an indelible stamp on the character of Freddy Benson. Similarly, he was the best part about the touring company of Cabaret I saw back in 2000, and I've made a point of trying to see him in every show he's been in since. But the loss of the multi-talented Pryce will also be staggering.

Meanwhile, the touring company of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is gearing up for its debut in Seattle this August, but don't expect either Butz or Pryce to recreate their roles.

With Butz and Pryce, "It was a trip, it was a ball, it was a kick, I loved it all!"

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Labels: Broadway, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Musical, The Producers, Touring Production

posted by Steve On Broadway (SOB) @ Monday, June 05, 2006