Asolo Rep’s ‘Marie and Rosetta’ Spotlights an Overlooked Rock Pioneer

Asolo Rep’s “Marie and Rosetta” brings attention to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the most important and under-credited figures in American music. Tharpe blended gospel power, electric guitar and stage charisma in ways that helped shape the sound of rock ’n’ roll before many of the genre’s famous male stars became household names.

The play focuses on Tharpe’s relationship with Marie Knight, another gifted performer, and uses music to tell a story about artistry, ambition, race, faith and influence. For Sarasota audiences, it offers both entertainment and rediscovery — the kind of production that sends people home wanting to look up the real history behind the show.

That is one of the strengths of theater based on musical figures. It can reintroduce audiences to artists whose contributions were minimized or forgotten. Tharpe’s influence on rock guitar and performance style is now more widely recognized, but still not as widely known as it should be.

“Marie and Rosetta” gives Sarasota audiences a chance to hear that story live.