Rachel McAdams Is 'Embracing the Nerves' as She Makes Teary Broadway Debut: 'I'm Finding My Feet' (Exclusive)

PEOPLE caught up with the Oscar-nominated actress, who is currently starring in the new play 'Mary Jane' at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in New York City

Rachel McAdams is officially a Broadway baby!

The Oscar-nominated actress celebrated her New York City stage debut on April 21 during a special performance of the new play Mary Jane, tearing up during curtain call as she was handed a bouquet of flowers to mark the milestone.

"I feel so honored to be here," McAdams, 45, tells PEOPLE, moments after the bow. "Broadway was something I'd always wanted to do, but felt really intimidated by. So to be standing on that stage feels like the completion of a longtime dream."

That doesn't mean the nerves have gone away. "I'm less nervous now, but they're still there; I still get nervous every night," McAdams says. "And that's okay! We know that there's a certain amount of nerves that's good and propels you forward and just makes the performance that much more vibrant, so you want to keep some of them. I'm embracing the nerves!"

"It's just new, right? It's like starting a new job: you're always nervous the first day, no matter what it is, and then you get into the groove," McAdams continues. "I feel like I'm finding my feet."

Related: Rachel McAdams Admits She Was ‘Intimidated’ to Take on Broadway, but ‘I Pinch Myself Every Day'

But the live nature of theater — specifically, the fluidity between the actors and the audience, which makes every show completely different — is still keeping McAdams on her toes.

"I'm kind of loving the spontaneous relationship that comes up every night," McAdams tells PEOPLE. "It's different every night. You never know what's coming. You can't control anything. You can only do so much. and you have to be fast on your feet, you have to be really just hooked in. I just think it requires you to be really present."

Mary Jane, produced by the Manhattan Theater Club, officially opens at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Tuesday, April 23. Performances are currently scheduled through June 2.

Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog (4000 Miles), the drama follows a singer-mother with an ailing son living in Jackson Heights, New York, who adapts an unflagging optimism to face the insurmountable odds coming her way. April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, Lily Santiago and Brenda Wehle also star in the production.

Related: Rachel McAdams ‘Can’t Wait’ to See Broadway’s The Notebook Musical – and Hopes the Rain Is ‘Gentler’ on Its Cast

McAdams is not just playing a mother on stage, she shares two kids — a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter — with longtime partner Jamie Linden.

She tells PEOPLE she brings that experience to the role of Mary Jane.

"You've got a really ferocious mama bear in this play. I now, having my own children, really understand deeply what that is and what it feels like to know you would do anything for your child," McAdams says. "This mother lives in that place every day and I do understand that intimately. I don't think you have to be a mom to play a great mom, but it definitely lightened my load in terms of research and the guessing."

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Is McAdams a "ferocious mama bear" herself? "When it's required," she says, with a laugh. "Thankfully not often, but when it's required, yeah, you gotta jump in there. Who else is gonna do it?"

Tickets for Mary Jane are now on sale.

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