Sherie Rene Scott’s semi-autobiographical musical “Everyday Rapture” opened at American Airlines Theatre on April 29.
The musical was co-written by and stars Scott as a Manhattan-bound girl of the same name, based at least in part on the actress’ own Midwestern Mennonite past. Michael Mayer directs and Dick Scanlan shares writing credits on the book, with musical credits ranging from Elton John to Mister Rogers.
Though technically a one-woman show, the production’s cast list contains back-up singers Lindsay Mendez and Betsy Wolfe. Young thespian Eamon Foley also features via “an extended YouTube sequence,” according to Playbill.
American Airlines Theatre pulled “Everyday Rapture” to its stage after the last-minute postponement of “Lips Together, Teeth Apart.” The latter production had been slated for its own April 29 opening before star Megan Mullally pulled out of the ensemble cast unexpectedly at the end of March.
The playhouse’s artistic director Todd Haimes had said in a statement, “We could not find a way to maintain the [“Lips Together, Teeth Apart”] production schedule under these circumstances. We are now exploring options to produce a show for our subscribers as soon as possible.”
The most viable option ended up being Scott’s solo musical, which debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in spring 2009 to critical praise and had the additional virtues of being stage-ready and low-budget.
“Everyday Rapture” began previews on April 19, affording it only one full week on-stage before its opening night. During that week, the 740-seat house was just over 87 percent capacity, and the weekly box office gross totaled $97,803, according to the Broadway League. Regular ticket prices range from $66.50 to $116.50.
Scott’s semi-autobiographical musical runs through July 11. The performance schedule calls for 8 p.m. curtains from Tuesday through Saturday, and 2 p.m. matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. But for the June 15-25 period, evening performances will start an hour early at 7 p.m.
“Everyday Rapture” runs 90 minutes without intermission. American Airlines Theatre is located at 227 West 42nd Street in New York, NY. Scheduling and ticketing details are available on Round About Theatre’s official Web site.
Opening Night: “Everyday Rapture”
| Publication | Critic | Review |
| Variety | Steve Suskin | “Scott is a force to be reckoned with.” |
| New York Times | Charles Isherwood | “…a smashing little show…” |
| USA Today | Elysa Gardner | “Scott’s irreverent, sexy gospel of liberation can be moving stuff.” |
| Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck | “‘Rapture’ comes across as overly precious and lacking the thematic heft that would justify its unexpected Broadway berth.” |
| TheaterMania | Dan Bacalzo | “Not only does Scott have a gorgeous voice, she has an uncanny ability to interpret the songs she sings in a way that captures the emotional essence of the stories she’s spinning.” |
| Associated Press | Michael Kuchwara | “Scott has one of those quirky, expansive theater personalities that can really fill a stage.” |
