Tituss Burgess Pens Music and Lyrics for Musical Adaptation of The Preacher’s Wife

Broadway's Tituss Burgess (Guys and Dolls), best known for playing Titus Andromedon in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, has acquired Broadway rights to 1996 film The Preacher's Wife. This new musical version of the story, featuring music and lyrics by Burgess, will have an industry reading on September 12.

The Preacher's Wife musical also features a book by Daniel Beaty (Through The Night). Directed by Stafford Arima (Allegiance) the upcoming reading will star Loretta Devine (Big Deal) and Ledisi (Caroline, or Change). Musical direction will be by James Sampliner.

The Preacher’s Wife is the story of one woman's journey to find her voice and strengthen her preacher husband and larger church community during a moment of financial and emotional crisis. 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.

A veteran of the stage, Burgess made his Broadway debut in 2005 in Good Vibrations. His roles have gone on to include Hal Miller in Jersey Boys, Sebastian the Crab in The Little Mermaid, and Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls.