Theatre Reviews & Features  |
| Sherie Rene Scott in Everyday Rapture |
We have Megan Mullally to thank for Ms. Scott's presence on Broadway. Ms. Mullally quit the production of Lips Together, Teeth Apart leaving the Roundabout with a slot to fill. Everyday Rapture had a successful run at Second Stage in May of last year, extending twice and being nominated for two Lucille Lortel Awards. The very funny book by Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott is quasi-autobiographical, based on Ms. Scott's trajectory from Mennonite fag hag to Broadway semi-star (fag hag).
Michael Mayer, who also directed this season's American Idiot, directs this one woman (and two back-up singers and one very gay teenage boy) show with a light hand and helps give it its comedic edge. Tom Kitt, a recent winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Next to Normal, did the terrific orchestrations. The small ensemble was just the perfect size for Ms. Scott and her two "Mennonettes."
Scott is conflicted by her love for both Judy Garland and Jesus, whom she refers to as her "other absolute, all-time favorite." This results in an hilarious segment with Scott as Judy Garland singing "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," "Get Happy" and "You Made Me Love You," with Jesus replacing Clark Gable in the latter. A montage of familiar and some not so familiar drawings and paintings of Jesus plays on a screen overhead. (Thank goodness she wasn't raised a Muslim.)
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Lindsay Mendez, Sherie Rene Scott and Betsy Wolfe in Everyday Rapture |
Around this same time Scott found everyone's neighbor Fred Rodgers, who as it happens is also an ordained minister. She refers to Fred Phelps and Mr. Rodgers as her two Rev. Freds. Thankfully Fred Phelps is exposed for what he truly is, a nasty, mean, unchristian monster who has bred an entire family of hate-mongers.
Scott doesn't dance in Everyday Rapture so much as bounce through Michele Lynch's choreography. It almost seems perfect on the tinker-toy/outer space inspired stage designed by Christine Jones with a skittles-colored lighting pallet by Kevin Adams. Both Jones and Adams worked with Mayer on American Idiot.
Despite the modesty demanded by her half-Mennonite self, Scott learns that she can have both humility and greatness as Broadway's "biggest, brightest semi-stars!" I loved this show, thanks Megan!
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