Marie and Rosetta
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Cititour.com Review
For nearly a year, there’s been a joyful noise on Broadway (“The Color Purple”). Now, there’s an equally joyful one Off-Broadway, courtesy of the irresistible “Marie and Rosetta”, now at The Atlantic Theater. Actually, to be precise, there are two joyful noises: the extraordinary singing voices of the deliciously versatile Rebecca Naomi Jones as Marie Knight, a seemingly innocent young woman from New Jersey, and the bluesy belt of the fabulous Kecia Lewis as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the world-famous gospel singer who takes Marie under her wing.
Playwright George Brandt’s version of the beginnings of this real-life partnership is set in a Mississippi funeral parlor in 1946, just one night after Rosetta sees Marie perform as the part of the opening act of her arch-rival, Mahalia Jackson. (In real life, Tharpe waited two weeks to recruit Marie.) The pair’s first show together is soon to begin, and during their quasi-rehearsal, the two ladies open up to each other, allowing Brandt to slowly leak out the surprising (and not-so-surprising) details of each other’s life. As the sorts of bioplays go, Brandt’s script is reasonably subtle, but even its bumpiest passages are smoothed out by the total commitment of Jones and Lewis to their vividly-drawn characters.
But even if “Marie and Rosetta” occasionally gets grounded in clunky exposition, this 90-minute piece soars whenever these ultra-talented ladies get to sing. The “score” is comprised primarily of real-life gospel standards, such as “This Train,” “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” and “Rock Me in the Cradle of Your Love,” and regardless of your religion or belief system, anyone with an appreciation for great music will end up in heaven during these passages.
Equally celestial are the gals’ gutsy renditions of the sassier, more secular songs that Tharpe performed during her years at the Cotton Club, such as “Tall Skinny Papa.” And fans of the real-life Tharpe, as well as those being introduced to her for the first time, will be knocked out by the pair’s take on Sister Rosetta’s most famous song “Strange Things Happen Every Day.”
Director Neil Pepe has guided the proceedings with a smooth hand, even concealing a major trick up his sleeve. And special kudos to costume designer Dede M. Ayite, who has provided Lewis with an ultra-flattering, ultra-glamorous beaded gown and made Jones look a good decade younger than she probably is by the cunning choice of a simple yet pretty dress.
While the work ends on a sorrowful note (as did Tharpe’s life), most of “Marie and Rosetta” is reminiscent of that still-famous chewing gum commercial: Double your pleasure; double your fun!
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://atlantictheater.org/playevents/marie-and-rosetta
Cast
Kecia Lewis, Rebecca Naomi Jones
Open/Close Dates
Opening 8/24/2016
Closing 10/16/2016
Box Office
866-811-4111
Theatre Info
Atlantic Theater Company/Linda Gross Theater
336 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
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