To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

What do Jesus, Judy Garland and Mister Rogers have in common? Sherie Rene Scott. And finding that common thread amounts to a wonderful kind of stage magic. And no, I'm not speaking of magic tricks, though they're in the show too, but rather the kind of magical synthesis that occurs when a performer marries her tremendous talents with the perfect material to produce a show that is as entertaining as it is artistically satisfying.

Part fiction, part fact, "Everyday Rapture" features "Sherie" as a most engaging persona. Growing up in Topeka, she was raised a Mennonite -- explained as "Amish-light" -- in a conservative community that frowned on the kind of artistic freedom that Sherie worshipped alongside Jesus. Even the genial kid-show host Mister Rogers, whom Sherie loved to watch, was regarded as a sinner.

Marked by a stream of contrasts, this natural entertainer reveals herself to be both humble and narcissistic, spiritual and hedonistic. And both sides are on ample display in this crazy quilt of a show that she co-wrote with Dick Scanlan highlighting her journey from Kansas to Broadway.

Sounds hokey, but she pulls it off brilliantly thanks to an exquisite set of pipes and sheer force of personality. And she does it almost singlehandedly with a little help from a pair of spirited singers called "the Mennonettes" and a young guest who makes a brief visit. She talks about living inside of songs as a child when she spent hours imitating her idol Judy Garland. And as you can tell, the obsession paid off.

"Everyday Rapture" is little changed from the Second Stage production last year off-Broadway. There was concern that it would get swallowed up in the larger American Airlines Theatre. But while less intimate now, under Michael Mayer's solid direction it remains both a witty parody of confessional shows and an earnest showcase for a gifted diva. Scott makes fun of herself as one of Broadway's brightest semi-stars, but her glittering performance proves she is a full-fledged star.