Best known for his work on the small screen, Stamos has, in fact, been a song-and-dance man on Broadway three times before. He took over for Matthew Broderick in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995); replaced Raúl Esparza in Cabaret (2002); and assumed the part played by Antonio Banderas in Nine (2003). The new production of Birdie, the beloved 1960 Tony Award-winning musical by Michael Stewart (book), Lee Adams (lyrics) and Charles Strouse (music), marks the first time he’s originating a role, rather than replacing a departing star in an ongoing hit. “I was so naïve when I made my Broadway debut. I had no idea how hard it would be to fill someone else’s shoes. I was a real dummy,” he admits. “Looking back, I realize I didn’t deserve to have my own show yet. Now I’m ready. I’ve paid my dues and I feel welcome and comfortable onstage.”

Still, Stamos recognizes that he’s stepping into a role that many theater and movie fans closely identify with another performer. Legendary actor Dick Van Dyke played Albert Peterson, the bumbling, marriage-shy mama’s boy and songwriter/manager of rock ’n’ roll idol Conrad Birdie, in both the original Broadway musical and the 1963 film. Yet, Stamos remains confident that he has what it takes to make the part his own. “I had actually never seen the movie when they offered me the role, and I haven’t watched very much of it since,” he says. “It’s funny. Everywhere I go, people tell me that they did this show in high school or camp, but I didn’t. What attracted me to the show is, when I read the script, I found it to be beautifully simple and innocent.”

He also identifies with his character on a personal level. “I’m a lot closer to Albert than most people would think. My friends know I am really this kooky, quirky guy,” he says. “Part of the fun for me is developing Albert’s physicality. For example, he’s a fidgety guy, like I am. Also, the show is a kind of love story about how Albert has to eventually grow up and commit to his girlfriend, Rosie Alvarez [Gina Gershon], and those are things I’m dealing with in real life right now, too.”

Currently unattached, Stamos confides that he’s still adjusting to the single life after his seven-year marriage to model and actress Rebecca Romijn ended in divorce in 2005. “It’s both exciting and lonely being single. I’ve grown comfortable being with myself, and I’ve also finally come to terms with the whole dating process,” says the former boyfriend of Demi Moore, Paula Abdul, Heather Locklear, Sheryl Crow and Denise Richards, among others. “I don’t force anything anymore. If it works out, that’s great. If not, I can let go. But I don’t want to be a perpetual bachelor, either.”

“What I love most about New York is how you can just walk around and meet people. In LA, I can go days without seeing anyone.”

Performing eight shows a week doesn’t allow the temporary New Yorker—he’ll probably return home to Los Angeles when the show ends—a great deal of time for socializing. During his limited downtime, he blogs about his on- and offstage life to more than 55,000 loyal and adoring Twitter followers. On his day off, he usually heads Downtown. “I really love Greenwich Village and SoHo. And what I love most about New York is how you can just walk around and meet people. In LA, I can go days without seeing anyone,” he says.

A natural percussionist, Stamos picked up his first set of drumsticks at age 4, joined a rock ’n’ roll band at 19 and has, on occasion, toured as a drummer and singer with The Beach Boys. In fact, his bio on Twitter reads: “ex teen idol, theater geek and wannabe rock and roll drummer.” Not surprisingly, “when I was on ER, people told me there was a definite rhythm to my movement and my lines,” he says.

As any drummer knows, timing is everything, and that adage is not lost on Stamos, whose high-profile work schedule slowed down during the decade between Full House and ER. “My career hasn’t been easy. I’ve had to prove myself every step of the way,” he says. “After starting out on a soap opera, I had to fight to do a sitcom. Then, later on, I had to prove I could do a television drama. I think ER really changed people’s opinion of me as an actor, since it was a real adult character, with writing that allowed me to stretch myself. I didn’t want Full House to be the thing on my tombstone—‘Here Lies Uncle Jesse.’ And people certainly didn’t think of me for musical theater. But in a way, that’s what kept me interested in show business for over 25 years. I’m glad I didn’t get it all right away.”