Norbert Leo Butz Named 2005 Broadway.com Star of the Year

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels lead Norbert Leo Butz has been named the Broadway.com Star of the Year for 2005. Chosen by online voters, the Star of the Year title was created to honor one-of-a-kind performers possessing a special blend of talent and charisma given the chance to shine in leading roles during the calendar year.

The Broadway.com editorial staff chose this year's eight nominees, stressing that a winning performance wasn't enough to ensure a slot. "We were really looking for a star performance," Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek said. "Actors working in an ensemble environment were counted out, as were very good performances that didn't necessarily lend themselves to the success of the production. If we could picture another actor easily pulling off the same performance, we didn't think they were right for this particular race."

In addition to Butz, the nominees for Star of the Year were Christina Applegate Sweet Charity, Harvey Fierstein Fiddler on the Roof, Cherry Jones Doubt, Patti LuPone Sweeney Todd, Chita Rivera Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Kathleen Turner Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and John Lloyd Young Jersey Boys.

Read all about the Star of the Year in our 2005 Year End Wrap-Up Section, which features an interview with Butz, a list of his favorites from the year, a complete photo gallery through the year as well as reader reactions to Butz.