Before making her Broadway debut in Waitress, Nicolette Robinson stopped by NBC’s New York Live August 20 to discuss the career milestone—a milestone that also marks a couple of firsts for the Sara Bareilles musical.

“I have all the butterflies,” Robinson (Off-Broadway’s Invisible Thread, Brooklynite) admitted, two weeks into rehearsals. “My brain is full of my blocking and my lines and my songs—all the things, but it’s glorious.”

Robinson has been a fan of composer Bareilles “since she came on the scene,” and her discography (especially her Tony-nominated score) has particular resonance: “It became a source of healing for me in a really hard time during my pregnancy.”

Robinson will be the first off-stage mother to play Jenna, who navigates complex ambivalence while expecting a child in an abusive relationship. She’ll also be the first woman of color to take center stage in the musical.

“I feel like this is a victory for all of us together,” she said. “It’s important to see yourself on the stage and screen....we need to see each other.”

Take a look at the interview below.

Robinson will play a limited engagement at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre September 4 through October 28; understudy Stephanie Torns takes on the role of Jenna for a two-week engagement in the interim following Katharine McPhee’s recent stint.