Tituss Burgess Manifested His Musical Version of The Preacher’s Wife: ‘I Was Casting the Spell Myself’ (Exclusive)

When Tituss Burgess first watched in 1996 The preacher’s wife in the cinema as a teenager with his mother, he “loved” comedy and drama so much that a clever idea came to his mind.

He is now 45 years old, a Broadway actor and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star vividly recalls that ’90s moment in an interview with PEOPLE.

“I turned to my mother and said, ‘Somebody should turn this into a musical,'” Burgess says, recalling that fateful day watching the film starring Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance. “She says, ‘That’s a good idea, honey.’ ”

Flash forward to 2024 and Burgess made that idea a reality by helping to create it The preacher’s wifethe musical adaptation of the same name, which debuted in May at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta.

“I never thought that I would be the one casting the spell and that I would be the one who would later transmit it to the world,” admits Burgess.

Tituss Burgess in ‘Moulin Rouge! Musical’ in October 2023.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

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The six-time Emmy nominee, who wrote the music and lyrics for this musical adaptation, explains that he has been working on the project for “about 15 years.”

“It’s a beautiful story about faith and faith being tested,” Burgess tells PEOPLE. “It’s about gentrification branching out into the family unit, and it’s also challenging what the church is, in our version.”

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This version has stars joyAmber Riley as Julia Biggs (previously played by Houston) and Loretta Devine, who played Beverly in the 90s film, Akron Watson as Henry Biggs and Donald Webber Jr. like Dudley.

“It’s full of magic and people are flying and it’s just a giddy, glorious good time,” adds Burgess. “I say that completely immodestly – it’s great.”

The new musical adaptation is based on Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel Bishop’s wife and the film adaptations that came from it: 1947 Bishop’s wife and in 1996 The preacher’s wife.

While Burgess says this stage version will have many of the same characters and a few of the same plots from the film, he admits it has been updated to reflect the changing times and the women who inspire him.

“That film, as much as I love it, is quite flawed. [It’s] all about a woman who is obsessed with a man not paying attention to her, and the Black women I know aren’t worried about that,” Burgess points out.

“Black women raised me and they still take care of me today,” he adds. “They are strong and smart, and this is my salute to them. We would be doing the world a disservice not to reflect that in our 2024 version, so that our heroine, Julia, has a different look, a different feel, a different voice.”

Tituss Burgess in New York in June 2019. Bruce Glikas/WireImage 6 Survived The shows that lasted – and whether each couple now wants to play a season together (Exclusive)

Description of The Alliance Theatre The preacher’s wife the stage play describes the updated plot as such: “In their rapidly gentrifying Harlem neighborhood, preacher Henry and his wife Julia struggle to keep their congregation afloat despite development. When all seems lost, Henry asks God for help and receives it in the form of an angel.”

“But will this mysterious newcomer really help or make things worse? Through all of this, Julia must find her voice and strength to lead her community through the crisis, reminding them that the church is not a building, but the people who live in it and the love they share,” the theater added.

In addition to this project, Burgess voices a character in EnchantedNetflix’s upcoming animated musical fantasy film, featuring an all-star voice cast of Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis and Nathan Lane.

“I’m playing opposite Nathan Lane and we’re playing oracles,” Burgess reveals. “Alan Menken once again wrote nothing but magical, whimsical music. It’s a beautiful, beautiful story about family and trauma and anger and how to deal with that when a child is a parent.”

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Burgess, who memorably broke through on the Emmy-winning sitcom 30 Rock as hairstylist D’Fwan in several episodes in 2011 and 2012, also preparing for Pride Month.

Titus Burgess. Vince Bucci/Invision for the Television Academy/AP

He acknowledges that he exists at a unique intersection within the industry as a gay black man and a cultured Christian. “And then I have the audacity to be an out gay actor in a still very white straight Hollywood,” he adds.

But that edge helped Burgess realize that even though LGBTQ+ comedians have so often been the subject of jokes, there’s power in sharing those “lived,” authentic experiences with an audience.

“Sometimes it’s more about the person who makes you laugh,” he explains, “than the thing you’re laughing at.”

Burgess recalls the laugh that changed his professional trajectory on set 30 Rock, when he uttered the line: “I’m not just a gay hairdresser; I’m also a gay party planner.”

“I hear this belly laugh off camera. I was so nervous that I honestly thought I was being laughed at because I did it wrong,” he recalls. “Then I see a black woman walking behind the camera, and it’s Tina Fey. She says, ‘I’m so sorry. Damn, you’ll have to do it again… [But] that was funny.’ ”

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Source: HIS Education