Photos: MARIE & ROSETTA At Asolo Repertory Theatre

Asolo Repertory Theatre has shared production photos of its regional premiere of MARIE AND ROSETTA, written by George Brant and directed by E. Faye Butler. 

The production runs May 8–31, 2026. Performances are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and select Thursdays.

Before Elvis picked up a guitar and before Jimi Hendrix transformed the instrument, there was Sister Rosetta Tharpe. MARIE AND ROSETTA follows the first rehearsal between Tharpe and her protégé Marie Knight as they prepare for the tour that would establish them as one of the major musical duos of their era.

“I first encountered George's play at a reading at the Playwrights' Center, and it has stayed with me ever since. What George has written is deceptively intimate: two women, a rehearsal room, and a lifetime of music. But the story it tells is enormous. Sister Rosetta Tharpe shaped the sound of the 20th century, and yet so few people know her name. We hope audiences leave the theatre with that changed,” said Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein.

The cast includes Maiesha McQueen as Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Her Broadway credits include Waitress, with regional credits including The Color Purple, Clyde's, Fela!, Come From Away, and Ain't Misbehavin' and Alexis J. Roston as Marie Knight. Her credits include Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, Don’t Make Me Over - A Tribute to Dionne Warwick, and Sister Act.

Musicians featured in the production include guitarist Larry Brown and music director Mahmoud Khan.

The creative team includes scenic designer John Culbert, lighting designer Jared Gooding, hair, wig, and makeup designer Michelle Hart, costume designer McKinley Johnson, sound designer Rick Sims, stage manager Kaitlin Kitzmiller, assistant stage manager Lydia Konings, and replacement stage manager Kevin Jinghong Zhu.

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