Tituss Burgess' THE PREACHER'S WIFE Musical Will Get NYC Presentation

Tituss Burgess has received the rights to the beloved film, "The Preacher's Wife." An industry presentation will be held in NYC on Monday, Sepetember 12, starring Loretta Devine and Ledisi.

Based on the 1996 blockbuster film of the same title, The Preacher's Wife is the story of one woman (Julia's) journey to find her voice and strengthen her husband (the Preacher) and larger church community during a moment of financial crisis and emotional overwhelm. In a fast-gentrifying Harlem when they're at risk of losing their church and their hope, an Angel appears and reminds them that a church is not a building, but the people who inhabit it and the love they share. With an original score and lyrics by Emmy-nominated Tituss Burgess, book by Daniel Beaty, direction by Olivier nominee Stafford Arima, and musical direction by James Sampliner, The Preacher's Wife is a timeless story that will both entertain and inspire.

Emmy-nominated actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess is quickly emerging as one of the entertainment industry's most versatile and dynamic performers, with his work in television and theater generating both critical and commercial acclaim.

Most notably, Burgess currently stars as 'Titus Andromedon' in the Emmy®-nominated comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt opposite Ellie Kemper, Jane Krakowski, and Carol Kane. For the actor's scene-stealing performance on the series, Burgess was twice-nominated for an Emmy® for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and for a 2015 Critics' Choice TV Award in the Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. He was also awarded Best Actor at the 2015 Webby Awards and Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy at the 2015 Gold Derby TV Awards. Season three of Kimmy Schmidt will return to Netflix in 2017.

The actor was first introduced to television audiences in Tina Fey's Emmy®-winning NBC series 30 Rock, where he played 'D'Fwan,' the vivacious hairdresser and sidekick of 'Angie Jordan' (Sherri Shepherd). Burgess quickly became a breakout star in the series' fifth and sixth seasons. His other television credits include A Gifted Man, Blue Bloods, and Royal Pains.

A veteran of the stage, Burgess made his Broadway debut in 2005 as 'Eddie' in Good Vibrations. Since, he has held many memorable roles on the Broadway stage including 'HAl Miller' in Jersey Boys, 'Sebastian the Crab' in The Little Mermaid, and 'Nicely-Nicely Johnson' in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls. Burgess has also performed in regional Theater Productions of The Wiz and Jesus Christ Superstar.

In addition, Burgess evolved his solo music career in 2012 with the debut of his album Comfortable, for which he wrote the music and lyrics for ten of the eleven songs. He is currently writing his second studio album.

Burgess currently resides in New York City.

Stafford Arima was nominated for an Olivier Award for his direction of the West End premiere of the musical, Ragtime, which received eight nominations, including Best Musical. He directed the Broadway production of Allegiance starring George Takei and Lea Salonga. Selected work includes: Altar Boyz (received the Best Musical Outer Critics Circle Award, was nominated for a Drama Desk as Outstanding Musical, and ran over 2,000 performances Off-Broadway), Carrie (Off-Broadway revival; nominated for 5 Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical and an Outer Critics nomination for Outstanding Revival of a Musical; MCC Theater); The Secret Garden (David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center); Saturday Night (The York Theatre Company, NYC); The Tin Pan Alley Rag (nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award as Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical, Roundabout Theatre Company); Candide (San Francisco Symphony); Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris (Stratford Shakespeare Festival); A Tribute to Sondheim (Boston Pops); Marry Me a Little (Cincinnati Playhouse); Guys and Dolls (Paper Mill Playhouse); and Abyssinia (Goodspeed Musicals). Arima was the associate director for the Broadway productions of Seussical and A Class Act. He graduated from York University (Canada), where he was the recipient of the Dean's Prize for Excellence in Creative Work. He serves as Artistic Advisor for the Broadway Dreams Foundation, is an Adjunct Professor at UC Davis, and a proud member of SDC.

Daniel Beaty is an award-winning writer and performer. His critically acclaimed plays & musicals Through the Night, Emergency,Mr. Joy, Breath & Imagination, and The Tallest Tree in the Forest - Paul Robeson, have been performed at venues including the Public, Lincoln Center, BAM, and the White House, garnering numerous awards including an Obie award for writing and performance and three NAACP Theater Awards. Beaty is currently a writer for the Netflix series Gethsemane and developing an original series based on his life. Beaty's feature film (co-writer & star) Chapter & Verse will be released in theaters nationwide in January 2017. Beaty just completed a documentary about the impact of mass incarceration on children and families called Behind the Glass sponsored by the Ford Foundation. His poem Knock Knock became an Internet sensation receiving over ten million views and has been transformed into a children's book, also titled Knock Knock, published by Little Brown Books. Penguin-Random House published his memoir Transforming Pain to Power in 2014.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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