Tituss Burgess Begins Run as Mary Todd Lincoln in Cole Escola’s Blockbuster Broadway Comedy Oh, Mary!

The crowd at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City jumped to their feet in celebration on Tuesday, March 18, as Tituss Burgess wrapped his first performance in the absurdist comedy, Oh, Mary!

Holding a bouquet of yellow roses, the six-time Emmy Award nominee, 45, bowed to thunderous applause from the enthusiastic crowd, including his former The Little Mermaid costars Sierra Boggess and Sherie Rene Scott.

It was a performance that kicked off Burgess’ limited three week run in the Sam Pinkleton-directed Broadway hit, which follows the miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks leading up to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.

Burgess is playing Mary Todd, replacing Betty Gilpin in the role. He’ll remain in the production through April 6, when playwright and original star Cole Escola will return to the part they created on April 8.

Speaking about joining the production ahead of his debut, Burgess said that he was “over the moon with joy” about the thought being among the company.

“Oh, Mary! blew me away when I saw it on Broadway. Cole Escola is a genius! The show is fresh and impossibly funny,” the actor said in a statement, adding. “I understand the role of Mary Todd Lincoln maybe a little too well.”

Opening up more about the move in a conversation with Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek, Burgess hinted that his Mary Todd is easy to access. “As soon as I put the wig on, she’s ready to come out,” he said. “She is so ready to be on stage, that there’s little I can do to calm her down.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

This is Burgess’ sixth Broadway credit. Prior to his breakout role in Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the actor treaded the boards in musicals like Good Vibrations, Jersey Boys and Guys and Dolls.

He returned to the stage after a 14 year abence over the 2023 holiday season, playing Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical,

That long break, it turns out, was intentional.

“I said to [casting director] Tara Rubin that —and this was at the end of Guys and Dolls in 2009— that I would not return to Broadway unless it was on my terms. Unless I was above the title,” Burgess explained. “And here we are. … I meant that. I knew in that moment that what was ahead of me was some rulemaking, game-changing things that I would do for Tituss that the world didn’t realize they wanted me to do. And now I think they realize that’s what they wanted me to do.”

Oh, Mary! also stars Phillip James Brannon (as Mary’s Husband), Chris Renfro (as Mary’s Teacher), Bianca Leigh (as Mary’s Chaperone) and Tony Macht (as Mary’s Husband’s Assistant,). Hannah Solow, Martin Landry and Julian Manjerico complete the company.

Original stars Conrad Ricamora (Mary’s Husband) and James Scully (Mary’s Teacher) will respire their roles in the production on April 8, as well.

Experts predict Oh, Mary! — which has been a critical and audience smash thanks to its nonstop laughs and hilarious performances — will be a big player at June’s 2025 Tony Awards. Its Off-Broadway run last February at the Lyceum Theatre earned Escola, 38, a slew of trophies, including the Obie, Drama Desk, Theatre World, and Outer Critics Circle awards.

Nominations for the Tonys, theater’s highest honor and the “T” in EGOT, will be announced on May 1.

Tickets to Oh, Mary! are now on sale.