Norbert Butz is our 2025 Inspire NYC Award recipient!

In 2019, when Norbert Leo Butz was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the Lincoln Center production of My Fair Lady, the star confided that behind the scenes — in his dressing room — he likes to dance. Cast members recalled him recreating musical numbers in his dressing room, before the show, usually inviting his colleagues to join in. Similar energy and camaraderie have defined Butz’s extraordinary, multifaceted career, which has embraced Broadway, film, and television.

A two-time Tony Award winner for his roles in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005) and Catch Me If You Can (2011). His Broadway career began as an understudy in the original cast of Rent (1997), and in 2003 originated the role of Fiyero in Wicked. An accomplished musician and songwriter, his range encompasses pop, rock and folk — as he describes it, “more Stevie Nicks than Stephen Sondheim” — and has released two solo recordings, “ The Long Haul” (2016) and” King of Hearts” (2022). He is currently at work on his third solo record, “American Spirits”.

On screen, Butz’s most recent film projects include Coyotes (2025), A Complete Unknown (2024), and The Exorcist: Believer (2023). And among his dozens of television roles, he appeared in American Sports Story (2024), The Girl from Plainville (2022), Bloodline (2015-2018) and Fosse/Verdon (2022).

In his personal life, he is one of 11 children. He is proud to dedicate tonight’s Chemotherapy+ Foundation honor to his late brother Tom Butz, who bravely fought Leiomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer. Tom received Chemotherapy for a year and a half, allowing him to see his son graduate 8th grade and his daughter to finish high school. He accepts this honor on behalf of Tom, whose faith, courage and determination to remain grateful have formed the foundation of his own life.

We are honored to present Norbert with this award and to have had a special performance at our Gala! The Inspire NYC Award was presented by Roy Herbst.

Reconstruction of those networks in normal cells appears to be sufficient to confer the malignant properties associated with that phenotype. Their long-term goal is to understand the signaling systems involved in initiating and maintaining pediatric brain tumors. This could lead to identifying new targets for pediatric brain tumor therapy.