It’s a big month for real-life drama playing out on screen. The Dropout, Dopesick, and The Thing About Pam are just a few of the former headlines that have recently become must-see TV, and this week there’s another “based on a true story” drama to add to your queue. The Girl From Plainville, which premieres tonight on Hulu, features St. Louis–born actor Norbert Leo Butz in the role of Conrad “Co” Roy II, the father of Conrad Roy III, whose death made national news as the “texting suicide case.” Contributor Gregory Wakeman caught up with Butz for this edition of “What We’re Talking About” to discuss the new role and his transition from stage to screen. And if you’re craving some lighter fare after all these crime stories, don’t worry. You can also catch Butz on Disney+ in the more family-friendly Better Nate Than Ever, out April 1.
As always, thanks for subscribing, and feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts, ideas, and questions. Until next time!
Know someone who would like this newsletter? Share this link with them to direct them to our newsletter subscription page.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, around 40,000 U.S. veterans are unhoused on any given night. Local photographer Jerry Tovo hopes to give a voice to some of them with his new portrait series, In the Faces of Patriotism: The Homeless Veterans Project, on view at IPHF beginning March 30. Tovo will also be on hand at the museum on April 2 to speak about the project and the stories of some of the veterans featured in the portraits.
As part of the programming surrounding Assembly Required, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation has organized this workshop in response to Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit, an artist’s book originally published by Ono in 1964. On April 9 at 2 p.m., participants of all ages and abilities can visit the museum to be led by staff through guided exercises exploring the instruction-based work, which offers prompts such as “Listen to the sound of the earth turning” and “Light a match and watch till it goes out.” Space is limited, and registration is required prior to the event.
Michael Hoeltge, Ben Koeing, David Shanle, and Chris Wright formed St. Louis shoegaze band Still in 2020, signed with Texas independent label Sunday Drive Records last summer, and debuted live at The Sinkhole in February. Now, their first EP, Faint, is on the horizon, and the first few singles have us excited for what’s to come. Give “Spinner” and title track “Faint” a listen on our playlist ahead of the EP release on April 1.
Author Diana Abu-Jaber will be in town April 6 as the Kirkwood Public Library’s 2022 “One Author, One Kirkwood” guest. The Birds of Paradise and Life Without a Recipe author’s most recent novel, Fencing with The King, published March 15, draws on Shakespeare and Arthurian fable to tell a story of inheritance, displacement, and letting go of the past to move into the future. Find it at Left Bank Books ahead of the event.
Better Nate Than Ever, Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.
Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz talks St. Louis, Hollywood, and his transition to television
The “Wicked” star has roles in two new shows this month from Hulu and Disney+.
As a two-time Tony Award winner, Norbert Leo Butz is used to having a busy schedule. But rather than preparing for opening night, this week Butz is anticipating the release of two new shows: The Girl From Plainville on Hulu on March 29 and Better Nate Than Ever on Disney+ on April 1. Both feature Butz, and they couldn’t be more different.
The Girl From Plainville dramatizes the events that lead to the death of Conrad Roy III in July 2014, with Butz playing his father, Conrad "Co" Roy II. Butz again plays a father in Better Nate Than Ever, a musical about the titular Nate Foster as he looks to become a Broadway star.
We recently had the chance to talk to Butz about these performances, as well as his hometown roots and path to the stage and screen.
On his early love of performing: I was a pretty shy kid. So I remember that I just really escaped into movies a lot. I love all kinds of movies, but the movie musicals I just thought were incredible. James Cagney and Yankee Doodle Dandy, I was obsessed with as a kid. The original West Side Story. Gene Kelly. All those films. I think somewhere in all of that, I started wanting to be a performer.
On shooting The Girl From Plainville: On our very first day of shooting, my mother passed away, so I rushed back to St. Louis. We had her funeral, then I went right back to work. I didn't use any of the research I did. I sort of forgot about it because I was so deeply in grief over my mom. To be doing that show simultaneously was a very strange experience. It really informed me the whole time. It was a tough shoot, but I really did respond to that script very much. I really wanted to be a part of it.
On playing Nate Foster’s parents with his real-life wife, Michelle Federer: It was a full-circle moment, because we met doing the musical Wicked on Broadway. We fell in love there. We got married five years later, and we have an 11-year-old daughter now. The producer of Better Nate Than Ever is Mark Platt, who worked on Wicked. So it was very sweet. I thought it was a little nod to the fans, as Nate is a huge Wicked fan in the movie. So us being the parents is like an inside joke for all the theater kids out there.
Support all of your local favorites in more than 200 categories, from best burger to best eyelashes. Cast your votes now through April 18 to help them make it to the top! You may vote once a day per category.
Whether you're in need of a simple cleaning or a complete smile makeover, these providers should be on your list of prospects. Search our directory to find a dentist near you.
What do you think about this newsletter? Share your thoughts, and let us know about an event or topic you'd like us to cover by replying to this email or using the button below. (Please use “Culture Newsletter” in the subject line.) We look forward to hearing from you!
MISSED A PICK? FIND THEM ALL ON SPOTIFY AND GOODREADS.
