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LARA JO HIGHTOWER NWA Democrat-Gazette F amed rocker Chuck Berry said that his whole career was "one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe imitation." Arkansas-born Tharpe, the most famous gospel singer of her day and largely considered the Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll, may be the most influential artist you've never heard of. But with TheatreSquared's production of George Brant's "Marie and Rosetta" opening this week, director Steve H. Broadnax III and actors Miche Braden and Johnique Mitchell hope to change that. "It's American history to bury Black history, and it's important that this show kind of revives the Godmother of Music," says Mitchell, who plays Tharpe's duet partner, Marie Knight. Mitchell is a Texas native with a robust theater resume who has studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon- Avon, England, and at The Globe in London. This is the third time she's performed this role. "Today, rock 'n' roll feels like a white man's industry. And it's not; it didn't start that way. It wasn't birthed from white men. So I think this is a beautiful way to give the coins, give the receipts, back to who it all belongs to." "People learn history by watching entertainment — they get the story, they'll see where she came from," says Braden, who is portraying Sister Rosetta Tharpe on stage for the third time. "And that's so important, especially, knowing what influences your creativity, with the music that she did." Braden has a special talent for bringing musical icons alive on stage: she received rave reviews for her portrayal of Bessie Smith in "The Devil's Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith," a role she originated and has been performing since 2000. "[Tharpe] knew music was all God," says Braden. "Music is creativity at its best, so that just really kept me going, because that's what I used to be — a minister of music and church. I would always bring popular songs in to the church, change the words around for the choir, and people related to it, because they heard something familiar. But it had a message." With "Marie and Rosetta," playwright Brant imagines a fly-on-the-wall view of what the first rehearsal between the gospel legend Tharpe and her protege, Knight, might have been like. Through intimate conversation and rollicking musical performances, the new duet partners form a loving bond that would last far beyond the five years they toured together. When Tharpe died in 1973 at the age of 58, Knight was there to do her hair and makeup prior to burial. Pull up a video of Tharpe performing on YouTube, and it's immediately obvious what earned her the title of Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll: Standing in front of gospel choirs in her stylish- but-modest dresses, the charismatic performer with the big voice and joyful stage presence absolutely shreds on her electric guitar, delivering a white-hot, rocking performance that straddles the worlds of gospel, rock and rhythm and blues. That duality — the ability to thrill both devoted churchgoers and hard-partying revelers at venues like The Cotton Club and The Apollo, where Tharpe would perform to adoring crowds with legends like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington and Count Basie — raised eyebrows and garnered criticism from the more pious of her religious fans. But Tharpe never let it stop her: "I'm gonna find more sinners in a nightclub than she ever gonna find in a church," she says of Mahalia Jackson in Brant's play. "I think this play challenges what it looks like to be a child of God," says Broadnax. "I look at how [Tharpe] talks about, 'How do you behave? What NOVEMBER 14-20, 2021 WHAT'S UP! 5 FAQ 'Marie and Rosetta' WHEN — 7:30 Tues- day-Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 17-Dec. 12 WHERE — TheatreSquared, 477 W. Spring St., Fayette- ville COST — $10-$54 INFO — 777-7477 Covid-19 Precau- tions: Face coverings are required. While our region continues to experience what the CDC defines as a significant or high rate of community transmis- sion, TheatreSquared is requiring patrons to wear a face covering while in the theater, regardless of vaccina- tion status. Do not attend a performance or come to one of the perfor- mance venues if you are experiencing COVID symptoms. See T2 Page 6 FAYETTEVILLE Godmother of Rock 'n' Roll T2 raises the roof with story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe Johnique Mitchell (left), who plays Marie in the T2 production of "Marie and Rosetta," had not heard of Sister Rosetta Tharpe prior to performing in a 2018 production of the show. As frustrating as that is, she says the important part is that she knows her now. "There's a lot of joy in the fact that she created so much that is replicated now," she observes. "And I think in the knowing of that is where I find my power. It's where I find my strength. I was just telling Steve the other day that I'm going to learn to play the guitar as a way to pay homage and a way of reclaiming [her history]." Miche Braden plays Tharpe. (Courtesy Photo/Wesley Hitt for TheatreSquared)