Marie and Rosetta NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (169)
See it if If you want to see two amazing engaging performances. Great singing and music and acting to match. Amazing show.
Don't see it if You don't like plays about real people or jazzy music and great instrumentation.
See it if you want to hear gorgeous music and see a subtle, bittersweet, timeless story told by two powerful women actors.
Don't see it if you have a strong distaste for gospel, don't like female-driven stories.
See it if Two lovely actresses, lovely singing, informative, sincere show.
Don't see it if Smaller productions are not for you. Into bombast.
See it if you like a musical that is not traditional. Want hear two powerful singing voice. Learn a bit about the Queen of blues Rosetta.
Don't see it if you need a deeper story or have an issue with gospel music. Also, the deep south lingo the characters use may be hard to comprehend.
See it if you like gospel mixed with rock&roll; like music history; want to learn something; want to tap your toes; enjoy a good story
Don't see it if you are not a fan of gospel inspired music; don't like the history of music; don't want to tap your toes and rise to your feet at the end.
See it if /to consider issues of racism, financial exploitation of women, propriety & piety, personal sacrifices to pursue joy punctuated w/ music.
Don't see it if u want a show w/ more dramatic arc. It's more of a character showcase that foregrounds the music that brought these talented women together. Read more
See it if you love gospel music and powerhouse performances
Don't see it if you dislike gospel music
See it if you like a biographical story with 2 amazing voices singing rousing gospel & R&B music even if the dialogue is sometimes thin
Don't see it if you don't like plays with abrupt ends, where 3 years are summarized in final dialogue; or offended by discussions of what is Christian music
Critic Reviews (31)
"Brandt is a gifted storyteller and the 90 minutes without intermission are mesmerizing...Brandt includes a satisfying twist in telling the story of how the woman who once was a big enough celebrity to fill a baseball stadium for her third wedding ended up forgotten and buried in an unmarked grave. I felt grateful that Brandt has brought her back to life for us...And the music is heavenly. I felt as though I had attended a worship service."
Read more
"The songs run the risk of seeming like filler. Does Brant simply not have all that much to say about these two people and thus opts for musical divertissements?...Credit director Neil Pepe for masking these potential potholes by keeping matters moving, and, of course, for casting Lewis and Rebecca Naomi Jones, who have done him proud in this two-hander."
Read more
"Neil Pepe's direction is unassuming, freeing Lewis and Jones to feed off each other's energy...The actresses' main obstacles are the thin and sometimes artificial emotional arcs they're given, so they tend to hide behind their characters' postures...Beyond the warmth of its leads and the spiritedness of its music — and despite its paucity of dramatic tension — the greatest virtue of 'Marie and Rosetta' is the rarely told history it illuminates."
Read more
"What a wonderful journey. 'Marie and Rosetta' was an authentic and soul-warming trip to 1946 Mississippi’s gospel scene…The women made the performance gallop across the room, the audience clapping and stomping by its completion. Jason Michael Webb’s musical direction makes 'Marie and Rosetta' a must-hear. Director Neil Pepe captured George Brant’s work expertly. If you are looking for a night of music and a story that will bring you to tears...see 'Marie and Rosetta.'"
Read more
"’Marie and Rosetta’ isn’t entirely a play in the conventional sense, but rather an excuse to see and hear Jones and Lewis rock out…Brant’s script seems secondary—it’s not entirely interesting, though certainly well made…No matter how effective you find the text, 'Marie and Rosetta' is must-see theatre because everyone must experience the bravura powerhouse that is Kecia Lewis. And as the sometimes foil of Lewis, Rebecca Naomi Jones radiates charm that is nothing but pleasure."
Read more
"Inspirational, moving and a bright spot in what so far has been a slow start...Brant’s script may be sparse, but it is perfectly blended into a phenomenal concert that discusses issues that were important then and now and moves you in profound ways...Neil Pepe’s direction is exquisite with Rebecca Naomi Jones as the perfect sidekick to an award-winning Ms. Lewis...All I can say is, 'Hallelujah!' for the Atlantic and Mr. Brant for bring these amazing artists to life. Amen!"
Read more
"As the two women get to know each other and groove to the soul-shaking music we get treated to two vocal powerhouses raising the roof...Playwright Brant, one could argue, wrote 'Marie and Rosetta' to keep these women alive. That sense is palpable, and it gives the show pathos and dramaturgical heft, but for me, it was secondary. Witnessing Lewis and Jones give everything they have in service of these hallowed songs—and that alone—was worth every penny."
Read more