2005–2014: Broadway debut
Burgess made his Broadway debut in the musical Good Vibrations as Eddie in 2005, and then appeared in Jersey Boys in 2005 as Hal Miller. Burgess originated the role of Sebastian the Crab in the Broadway musical The Little Mermaid in 2007 opposite Sierra Boggess, Sean Palmer, and Norm Lewis. Burgess portrayed Nicely-Nicely Johnson, traditionally played by a white actor, in the revival of Guys and Dolls in 2009. He performed in several regional theater productions, including The Wiz and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Burgess performed at the "Broadway for Obama" benefit concert at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Easton, Pennsylvania on October 20, 2008. He performed at the "Broadway After Dark" benefit concert on October 26, 2008, in New York City, and in a solo concert at Birdland in New York City on July 27, 2009.
In July 2009, he was a performer on the R Family Vacations Summer Cruise. Three months later, he was featured on an episode of the popular web show The Battery's Down. He appeared in Season 5 of 30 Rock as D'Fwan, a member of Tracy Jordan's wife's entourage. He reprised the role in Season 6. He was cast as The Caterpillar in the 2011 Broadway musical Wonderland in October 2010. A month later he dropped out of the project.
In March 2013, Burgess performed "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fundraising concert Broadway Backwards. He was cast as The Witch, a role traditionally played by a female, in Into the Woods in a 2015 production by DreamCatcher Theatre, presented in Miami's Carnival Studio Theater at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
