Thank goodness for crises of identity and faith.

Otherwise, we might never have had the pleasure of Sherie Rene Scott's "Everyday Rapture," the delightful, vaguely autobiographical story of a woman (also named Sherie) and her journey to semi-stardom and spiritual awareness.

The show, on view at off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre, is a touching, tuneful and often hilarious tale, told by Scott in six scenes and punctuated by more than a dozen songs written by the likes of Elton John, Harold Arlen, George Harrison, Harry Warren and more.

That should give you some clue to the scope of Scott's considerable talent, which is tailor-made for musical theater. Scott, in possession of not only a big, belty singing voice but a delicious sense of comic timing, owns the stage.

But back to that identity-faith crisis. It's articulated right at the top of this swiftly moving, 90-minute show, co-written by Scott and Dick Scanlan and directed by Michael Mayer.

Two different philosophies, written on pieces of paper are carried by the stage-version of Sherie. One paper says "I am a speck of dust"; the other, "The world was created for me."

Quite a conflict. The first reflecting her growing up in Topeka, Kan., as a Mennonite, which the on-stage Sherie describes as "Amish-light." The second symbolizing her ambitious quest for a theater career, one which, in Scott's real life, included shows as diverse as "The Little Mermaid" and "Debbie Does Dallas" (yes, there was a stage spoof of the movie).

Along the way, we are treated to the woman's celebration of some formidable influences on her life: her cousin Jerome, a mysterious New York magician and cultural superstars such as Judy Garland and Mister Rogers.

Scott is joined on stage by an accomplished quintet of musicians, two great backup singers (Lindsay Mendez and Betsy Wolfe) and a young man named Eamon Foley who delivers the ultimate fan homage _ a YouTube salute.

Where the fictional Sherie Rene Scott leaves off and the real one begins is never made quite clear. You are left guessing. No matter. There's no guessing about "Everyday Rapture." It's rapturous entertainment.