Atlantic announces World Premiere of Marie and Rosetta

The Atlantic Theater Company has announced a world premiere for its 2016-2017 off-Broadway season: George Brant's play with music Marie and Rosetta, directed by Neil Pepe, will play a limited engagement in Fall 2016.

Synopsis: "A huge influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and Jimi Hendrix, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a legend in her time, bringing fierce guitar-playing and swing to gospel music. Tharpe was the queen of 'race records' in the 30's and 40's, a woman who played guitar as passionately as Clapton, who performed mornings at churches and evenings at the Cotton Club, who was a big enough star to fill a baseball stadium for her third wedding, but ended up buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia. Marie and Rosetta chronicles her first rehearsal with a young protege, Marie Knight, as they prepare to embark on a tour that would establish them as one of the great duet teams in musical history."

George Brant's plays include 'Grounded,' 'Elephant's Graveyard,' 'The Mourners' Bench,' 'Salvage,' 'Three Voyages of the Lobotomobile,' 'Any Other Name,' 'Good on Paper,' 'Dark Room' and 'Grizzly Mama.'

Dates, casting and creative team information will be released at a later date.

- by Tom Millward