Did you get caught in the unbreakable spell of Kimmy Schmidt this weekend? The new Netflix sitcom “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” co-created by Tina Fey was the binge-watch event of the weekend, and with good cause: It’s a female-centric show, loaded with the kind of smart dialogue and bizarre characters that made “30 Rock” a fan favorite. The show is about Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), who was recently freed after spending 15 years locked in a bunker by a doomsday cult preacher. But a lot of the show’s strength is due to Titus Andromedon, Kimmy’s roommate, a gay unemployed wannabe Broadway star played with delicious camp by Tituss Burgess.
So who is Burgess? Fans of “30 Rock” might recognize him from a small but memorable role, but theater fans may recognize him more for his real-life Broadway turns. Get out your rhyming dictionaries, pour yourself a glass of pinot noir and let’s have a look at the breakout star of “Kimmy Schmidt.”
’30 Rock’
Burgess first came into the Tina Fey-verse on “30 Rock” in a small role as sassy hairdresser D’Fwan, part of the reality-show-within-a-show “Queen of Jordan” that started on Season 5. He stole scenes from Alec Baldwin (like the one above), and even inspired his own in-show spin-off wine, D’Fwine (“please d’fwink responsibly”).
Musical theater
Titus on “Kimmy Schmidt” is a failed actor who once was reduced to putting on his own version of “The Lion King” using a house cat. But in real life, Burgess has found lots of success on Broadway. He’s had roles in “The Wiz,” “Jersey Boys” and “Guys and Dolls.” This year, he’s going to be the first man to play the role of the witch (with creator Stephen Sondheim’s blessing) in “Into the Woods” in Miami.
He sings gospel
In 2012, the openly gay Burgess composed music and lyrics for the gospel album “Welcome” for the progressive Middle Church, located in Manhattan. The album helped raise funds for the congregation, which supports marriage equality and welcomes people of all sexualities.
He fights for marriage equality
Burgess has been an advocate for marriage equality, using his high-tenor voice to help raise awareness and support LGBT causes. Here’s a video of him opening a rally in 2013; in the 2013 video above, he sang the song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from the show “Dreamgirls,” as part of a Broadway Cares LGBT celebration.
‘Titus’ was made for him
If you couldn’t tell by the choice of character name, Fey created the role of Kimmy’s roommate on the new show with Burgess in mind. He told Out magazine:
“About a year ago, my manager texted me and said, ‘Would you like to talk to Tina Fey?’ She sent me a screenshot of the [character] breakdown that comes to agents and managers from casting directors. It said, ‘In the role of Titus…’ And I thought, ‘Oh my God, either this is a really cruel joke or Tina Fey has written something for me.’ I went to audition, and she told me later it was written with me in mind. She’s my fairy godmother. The fact that she was even thinking about me in the interim just blows my mind. I feel so lucky — she’s such a delicious teacher and such a wonderful collaborator.”
He’s already got a breakout single from the show, “Pinot Noir.”