Broadway Blog - EVERYDAY RAPTURE Review Roundup

Everyday Rapture is the story of a young woman's psycho-sexual-spiritual journey on the rocky path that separates her mostly Mennonite past from her mostly Manhattan future. With a cast led by Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture also features songs made famous by David Byrne, Roberta Flack, Mister Rogers, The Supremes, and Judy Garland.

Ben Brantley, The New York Times: "'Everyday Rapture,' which opened on Thursday night at the American Airlines Theater, is by no means a conventional Broadway musical. Yet I can’t think of another production in recent years that captures and explains so affectingly the essence and allure of musicals, and why they’re such an indispensable part of the New York landscape."

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: "Bottom Line: Sherie Rene Scott's slight autobiographical musical doesn't fully deliver on the promise of its title."

Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press: "'Rapture,' which opened Thursday at the Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre, fits just fine into a large space, much bigger that off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre where the production had a successful run last year. But then the bubbly, blond, multitalented Scott has one of those quirky, expansive theater personalities that can really fill a stage."

Michael Sommers, NJ Newsroom: "Scott's spirits are high, her mildly balmy message is positive and her saga (co-written with Dick Scanlan) obviously is not the usual stage-struck chatter. Among a dozen songs heard along the way, a few warm, whimsical Mr. Rogers ditties and a smoking "Ladder to the Roof" are especially fine."

David Sheward, Backstage:"Thanks to Scott's insightful self-examination, razzle-dazzle showmanship, and dynamite vocals, this is a satisfying and enjoyable way to end the 2009-10 Broadway season."

Linda Winer, Newsday: "'Everyday Rapture" is an easygoing end to a frantic Broadway season. This is Sherie Rene Scott's likable 90-minute, semiautobiographical musical - an Off-Broadway hit last summer at Second Stage and now the Roundabout Theatre's last-minute savior after the revival of "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" crumbled with the abrupt departure of Megan Mullally."

Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly: "When she's not belting out tunes by Elton John, Tom Waits, and even Fred Rogers, the actress plays a half-Mennonite woman named Sherie Rene Scott who seeks a balance between her upbringing in a religion rooted in self-denial and her longing for fame. It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood of this pumped-up cabaret act. B+"

John Simon, Bloomberg News: "I find her talented and attractive in a vulpine, somewhat predatory, way. But I would rather see her in a wholly, not quasi-fictional role. Here Eamon Foley, who lustily portrays a 15-year-old cyber fan of hers, comes off best."

Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post: "The musical interludes are uniformly splendid. Backed by her two Mennonettes (Lindsay Mendez, Betsy Wolfe), Scott is a stylist in full control of her instrument. The low-key arrangements by Tom Kitt ("Next to Normal") only enhance her amalgam of precision and warmth. And yet the show sometimes feels out of joint. In a smaller setting, "Everyday Rapture" achieved a near-miraculous balance between narcissistic bravado, self-mocking and sentimentality. But the last weighs heavier here, and the inspirational tidbits take over."

Elysa Gardner, USA Today: "This is one of the more intriguing revelations in Everyday Rapture (* * * out of four), the slight but charming revue that opened Thursday at Broadway's American Airlines Theatre."