Everyday Rapture: First Preview

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:12pm

I just got back from the first preview.

As a whole I thought it was merely okay. I don't think it knows what it wants to be. It's both hilarious and heart warming, but it seems more like a good thought rather than a full show. It sort of weaved in and out of an actual story and an actual arch. The best part of the evening was the You Tube segment. It was well down and well acted and well thought out. It had random moments of just heart wrenching drama (the abortion segment, her talking about her child), but those moments were interspersed with Scott's glowing charm and charisma. She deftly walks the line between bitch and mocking herself, which I like. Some of the comments were so snide, but you couldn't help but be like "oh, Sherry..." like when she mentions "Sure, I'm friends with all the people who replace me in a show." The show as a whole was entertaining even if I didn't quite get all the songs she sang. I'm sure they're famous to someone, but I didn't quite know them, but was still into them.

The only comment I have to say is that I don't know what Mininette (sp?) is? I gathered it was a kind of religion, but I've honestly never once heard of it. So maybe they need to throw in a blurb about what it is exactly?

The show had a weird religious tone. The whole tone of the show seemed off. It went from religion to magic to her coming to new york to her being famous to her talking about her kid. It just didn't have much connecting each segment.

The only thing I hated was the set. It was awful. It was just so...ugly? I get what they were going for, I suppose, but it was just ugly. It had these weird starburst shapes cut out of the proscenium with "lights" randomly strewn about. And each of the set pieces had Christmas lights put on them.

All in all, Scott is a star. She is just so personable and likable in her bitchiness. I think the show def. had some drags and some parts that didn't quite work (the whole Jesus segment?), but I'm sure that will be ironed out. Towards the end it seemed like they were playing "The Next 10 Minutes" from "The Last 5 Years," but she never sang it. Maybe it just sounded similar.

(On a side note, I was waiting in line for the rest room and Kurt Deutsche (or however you spell his name...Douche?) cut in front of me. He was polite and said "sorry, I didn't realize" but just thought it was funny. I was like "I think I know you.")

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:19pm

I think "Menonette" is a play on Menonite ~ if that helps any.

I'm seeing it Friday. I figure given what I've read of the subjects covered I'm either going to love it or hate it because of my life experiences. We shall see.

Updated On: 4/7/09 at 10:19 PM

[Bwayfan39]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:20pm

I also saw the show tonight, and while I agree with many of the things you said, I loved it. The only thing I totally hated was the set, and the sound seemed a little off. Besides that, I thought it was great-and Scott is such a star, it's was hard not to love every word she said.

P.S. Kurt Deutsch...I saw him as well, but being a girl, he did not cut me in the bathroom line, but if he did I would have loved it

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:24pm

Ha, I didn't mean that in a snarky way about Mr. Kurt. He wasn't mean at all, ha.

But yeah, the set is awful. I just expected something more? I don't know.

I'm just curious to know what "You May Now Worship Me" was like and how much was added/changed. It was just a weird mismash of a show.

And my problem was with the "Menonite" - I mean, I don't know what that is. That could just be my ignorance, I don't know.

[scott68]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:28pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mennonite

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:29pm

It's a denomination/religion. I don't know a lot about them, but I think they're pretty conservative.

Mennonite Church

Updated On: 4/7/09 at 10:29 PM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:31pm

Yeah, well I guess I got all that from the show, but I guess I was just a little like "say what?" about the whole thing at first. It's just weird that I've never heard of it before. I come from the South where we have 15 churches on one street, but never heard of that one. Well, I learned something!

[April Saul]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:36pm

The Mennonites are especially big in Pennsylvania Dutch Country--near Lancaster, same area as the Amish--and throughout the midwest...I found an article describing her childhood and the way she uses religion in her one-woman show...I guess her back-up singers are called "Mennonettes" as a joke:

http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/SherieReneScott2008.cfm

[jake6970]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:38pm

Who else is in the cast?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/7/09 at 10:45pm

Exactly how much of it is based on truth? I noticed Scott was credited with any writing.

[classicalprose]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 1:43am

I'm slightly biased but I really enjoyed the show! I hadn't seen the show since December of 2006 when she did it in concert form so I'd only heard about it. Yes it had its weak moments...I think some of the songs could be cut or at least shortened but I thought it was very well done. I liked the set even though, looking back I'm not entirely sure what it was supposed to be if anything? I also loved the lighting. Aside from all that, Sherie is an absolute pro, ridiculously talented and you could tell she was having a great time being up there. I agree about the youtube segment; that was definitely my favorite part of the night.

RentBoy86- I do know the religion aspect and a lot of the stuff about Pastor Fred Phelps is true. I'm guessing most of the show is at least based on real life events but I really don't know for sure.

sorry if that didn't make a lot of sense, I'm exhausted.

And jake6970- the rest of the cast is Lindsay Mendez, Betsy Wolfe and Eamon Foley (who is crazy talented also) Updated On: 4/8/09 at 01:43 AM

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 2:13am

Don't know about the e-mails, but she's definitely referencing a real YouTube video (I can't seem to find it now - may have been taken down). Eamon Foley (and Tyler Maynard in previous incarnations) recreated this kid's moves almost exactly and I was happy that tonight they were able to incorporate his costume change (from a blue plaid to a red plaid shirt).

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 2:19am

ive got a free ticket for the show tomorrow (well, technically now, tonight), and I'm excited, I've never seen Sherie live.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/8/09 at 3:04am

Student rush is $16.50 so cant beat it! Go check it out!

I think this show will only cement her status as a "Broadway semi-star" - It's hard not to like her!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 12:00am

I saw the second preview of Everyday Rapture tonight, and although it was enjoyable to see Sherie live, the show is very much a vanity project. I was actually worried near the beginning when a bit from the Wizard of Oz started to play because I thought of The Blonde in the Thunderbird and If I Only Had a Brain!

The best part of the evening is getting to hear Sherie sing. She is in excellent voice and really knows how to phrase a lyric. I especially liked the early Atchison, Topeka and the Sante Fe rendition she did. Judy singing that in The Harvey Girls is SO awesome and it was a nice tribute to her that also tied into Sherie's Kansas upbringing.

I agree with RentBoy that her bitchiness really shines through. Even when she was being self-depricating, I felt like it rang hollow. It may be a little premature for her to be doing what's essentially a one woman show. This is evidenced by the fact that she is completely upstaged by Eamon Foley in his youtube bit. I mean he got the loudest and longest applause of the evening for singing the final chorus of My Strongest Suit.

I recommend this to any fans of Sherie, or if you can get a cheap ticket and want to hear some wonderful interpretations of classic songs. If you're going for a well-crafted piece of theater this probably isn't it.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 12:14am

Btw, I got an email from Ghostlight saying they're giving $10 tickets to the show through the weekend. So now is the time to go!

[theatreguy]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 12:15am

Here's an interview from this week's Time Out. She talks a bit about the difference between Sherie Rene Scott the person and Sherie Rene Scott the character.
"Sherie On Top"

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 1:30am

Yeah! I read that today, and that sort of clarifies that it's not a one woman show in that autobiographical sense. But it still needs some sort of throughline.

I think the problem with it is that it doesn't adhere to any of the conventional playwrighting standards. Where's the conflict? What's the dramatic question? Where's the drama?

[KingKong]

Posted: 4/9/09 at 9:44am

I saw it last night and loved it. Really great story telling, great use of song, hilarious. I wouldn't hesitate recommending it.

[JenNYferTheatrical]

Posted: 4/10/09 at 9:58am

I didn't expect to like this as much as I did! And that Eamon Foley... a star in the making. HiLArious. A great show.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 4/10/09 at 10:13am

I saw Everyday Rapture this week. I'm from Oregon, and Mennonites are a very prominant religion in the midwest and west coast. In Oregon there are entire seetlements and towns founded by the mennonites. My undersatnding is that Mennonites are the Amish that eventually moved west to avoid persectution or for some pilgramage. They eventually lost their traditional clothing, and began using electricity. So they blend in with everyday people. But mennonite is the same religion as the Amish, just a slightly more progressive culture. Its the same conservative ideology in practice, and their very strict. No, there aren't many mennonites in New York, so I guess you guys wouldn't have heard of them, but they're everywhere in the west. And generally they're nice people. Just the ones in Everyday rapture seemed pretty radical. But that is Kansas, and not Liberal Oregon.

I thought everyday rapture was mostly boring, up until the one particular scene, you all know what I'm talking about, which was worth seeing the entire show for.

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 4/10/09 at 10:38am

When belts out the "No!" from "Killing Me Softly" - that was brilliant.

[Bwayfan39]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 11:26am

Does anyone know where the Student Rush seats are? And also, are the box seats partial view-and if i got a box seat, should I get one closer to the stage or farther away?
Updated On: 4/11/09 at 11:26 AM

[it'sjustshowbiz]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 12:20pm

Did anybody see both You May Worship Me Now and Everyday Rapture? Can you explain any differences?

Thanks!

[Bwayfan39]

Posted: 4/11/09 at 1:10pm

I did...and all together I prefered You May Now Worship me. YMNWM was more upbeat and funny, Everyday Rapture seemed very serious, and that's part of the reason I think Eamon Foley is stealing the show with his part. I remeber last year I thought Sherie was phenominal and on Tuesday, I just felt like she was tired and way too relaxed (which i think is funny looking back on her interview on Broadway.com). if there were more upbeat numbers, like in YMNWM, the show would be much better, much more enjoyable, and NO ONE in that would even be able to come close to the performance she gives. The one thing is, I believe, is that it was her intention to make the show much more mellow, and really only have 2 upbeat numbers. (My Strongest Suit and there's one other where she's singing with the 2 other girls-Mennonettes, or whatever they called them).

Also another difference was that many of the songs were cut down, and I believe new songs were added. Also, many parts of the story were cleared up, she actually said the name of her hometown, and really explains Jesus's impact on her life-with a Slide Show...also the set is absolutly terrible, which it was not in YMNWM, and I know that the set was the SA set, but they had better lighting and everything-and I believe the set designer was the same as SA, but i could have read my playbill inccorectly.

Hope that answered you question :)
Also if anyone could get back to my question above that would be much appriciated because I'm trying to see it again sometime this weekend. Thanks :)