As Fences tickets continue to be a smash hit on Broadway, modest musician Branford Marsalis has been talking about his surprise when nominated for a Tony Award. The saxophonist and composer has already won 3 Grammy’s, so he shouldn’t have been too stunned, but his nomination for Best Original Score is making him beam with pride. Marsalis’ music, composed for the acclaimed play starring Denzel Washington, has brought playwright August Wilson’s Fences alive for New York audiences. The Fences schedule simply wouldn’t be the same without it.

“You don’t expect it,” Marsalis modestly said, after he learned of the Tony nomination. “When you decide you want to play jazz and you’re 20 years old living in New York, [you don't expect to say], ‘You know, one day, guys, I’m gonna get nominated for a Tony.’ It’s not part of the discussion, so it’s quite shocking.”

Marsalis beat out a solid field in his category including Lucy Prebble of Enron fame, plus Andrew Lippa for The Addams Family, among others. A veteran of composition, Marsalis has 22 albums under his belt, and the rate at which Fences tickets are selling should have told him that things were possible. Marsalis’ tunes for the production are jazz-like, and serve as emotional rivets between scenes. As each moment in the story closes and another opens, the music is there, informing the audience as to the mood and the direction of Wilson’s dramatic play. If you buy Fences tickets, you should keep your ear open between scenes, for you are sure to catch a hint or two of Marsalis’ extensive grasp of feeling and form in music. This nomination could mean that new doors will open for the saxophonist, and he welcomes the possibilities, saying, “It would be a hell of a challenge. If this opens the door to that, that would be awesome.”

Buy Fences tickets from our Fences Broadway schedule and see this awesome production for yourself.

• The Modern Piano It has been a staple of classical and contemporary music, used by musicians from Mozart to Elton John and more. Many musicians who have brought their fingers to the ivories have created music that has inspired and captured the hearts of countless people all over the world. That instrument is......
• Is your Husband a "Handy Andy" or a DIY Disaster? Here’s How to Deal with Him Most husbands seem to think they’re a DIY expert to some degree – but finding a bloke who’s as much of a handy Andy as he says he is can be pretty difficult. We may have come a long way in terms of equality in the workplace and the home......
• Classic Album Review-Chet Atkins "Finger-Style Guitar" This is not a traditional country album, not by today's standards, and especially not by 1957 standards, the year of it's release. In fact, based on the albums being promoted on the back cover; a Mario Lanza release, “Madame Butterfly”, and The Chicago Symphony; RCA didn't even have country listeners......
• Classic Album Review-Tennessee Ernie Ford "I Love To Tell The Story" Greetings from Asheville, where things are happening and there's always good music on the turntable, in The CD, or on the MP3. This week, in celebration of the Easter holiday, I've pulled out some vintage Country-Gospel vinyl. Of course, no Country-Gospel look would be complete, or even a legitimate look,......
• Hairspray Tickets- Big on Music, Dancing and Fun! If you haven’t seen it already, go out today and get Hairspray tickets to the multiple Tony Award-winning musical. Why? Whether it is the catchy songs, the incredible staging or the great script, this production has shown audiences why it has the power to bring audience members back for their......

Last night’s 55th Annual Drama Desk Awards went very well for Fences, winning a total of three impressive Drama Desk Awards! Perhaps the most outstanding take home of the night for Fences was Outstanding Revival of a Play, which was shared as a tie with A View From the Bridge. Another big win for Fences, thanks to the extremely talented Viola Davis for her role as Rose, was her take home of Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. Finally, music director and three-time Grammy-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis received Outstanding Music in a Play, adding yet another Drama Desk Award to Fences’ well deserved take homes of the night. If you haven’t witnessed this incredible production for yourself yet, now is the time to get your hands on a set of Fences tickets! It’s one play you won’t forget.

• Classic Album Review-"Chet Atkins Plays Back Home Hymns" Greetings from Asheville where good music is always found on the turntable, in the CD, or on the MP3. Considering that it was around 1950 when RCA Victor first began releasing 33 1/3 albums, it's really rather amazing that by the Fall, 1962, Chet Atkins was already releasing his twentieth......
• Greenbriar Classic Ends with Amazing Three-Way Playoff It is rare that you see a tournament go into a playoff situation. It is even rarer whenever you see a game go into a three-way playoff. This is exactly the situation which ended the Greenbirar Classic on Sunday. The playoff was shared by Scott Stallings, Bob Estes and Bill......
• Three Basics for Success in the Music Industry The music industry is full of talent that may never find success. It is unfortunate that it may take years to get a record deal, even if you're awesome! And in the independent music world, it still takes hard work to succeed, even with the increased amount of opportunities for......
• Classic Album Review-"Chet Atkins Picks On The Beatles" In 1966, legendary guitarist Chet Atkins released an album of music from The Beatles. I've been a big fan of both The Beatles and Chet Atkins for a long time. So, when I was finally able to acquire a copy of this album, I have to say that I was......
• How to Pick the Best Fencing A fence around the outside of your home can act as a barrier for pets, but it can also dramatically increase the value of your home. There are many new options for fencing that are currently available and you might be surprised to find out just how economical they are.......

August Wilson’s Broadway hit is really pulling in the stars now, but its own stars aren’t forgetting where the whole thing came from in the first place. Fences tickets have been sold out for every performance on Broadway and its 10 Tony nominations are proof of how good this show really is. Among the celebrities who’ve turned out to see the play starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are Color Purple producer Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was seen at the Cort Theatre with her friend Gayle King recently, and they looked like they were having a great time.

Meanwhile, one of the Fences stars has paid tribute to playwright August Wilson for creating the play in the first place. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who earned a 2010 Tony nominee for playing a fantastic Jim Bono (friend of Trot Maxson), spoke recently about his excitement on learning he’d received his first Tony nomination.
Read the rest of this entry »

• the Alpha John wonders... I received an email from a reader (Alpha John) that I would like to share and then answer his question... Kevin, As you can tell from my blog, I've been following yours for a couple weeks. I'm at IT guy by trade (was a DBA for several years) and I'm in......
• Ticket Stubs Collectibles -> Paper Collecting ticket stubs is a fun hobby that can be equally exciting and frustrating because tickets are one of the more rare items you can collect, whether they’re from sporting events, concerts, museum visits, political rallies and events, movies or other events that require tickets for admission.......
• Free Red Sox ticket Work offered me a free Red Sox ticket the other day. I'm a fairly big fan if I haven't said it before. I may have caught about 80% of the games on TV this year . Of course I'm usually doing other things, it would be terribly unproductive otherwise. Hmmm,......
• North: Obama Shock Sunday Paper - January 10th, 2010 On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones warned that we would feel "a certain shock" at revelations in a White House report on what the Obama administration is calling the "Failed Christmas Terrorist Attack." He was referring to the breakdowns that allowed a......
• The Christmas Story: Preparation for The King Today and tomorrow I will post the true Christmas story on this site. Today we will look at the immediate events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son - The Messiah! Tomorrow, we will look at His birth and all the events that surrounded that......

This current Broadway revival of Fences is creating a buzz rarely seen on the Great White Way in recent years. Denzel Washington’s sterling performance as Troy Maxson is a big part of it, but the truth is that the entire cast of Fences are selling tickets like nothing around. Fences tickets owe their success to several things, such as the way the stark but informative set bares Washington and Viola Davis to the fore amid the wreck of their lives. Race is the theme here, and it has really launched the production to a wider radius. The composition of Fences ticket buyers is said to be approximately half African-American and half white, which is a change from most of August Wilson’s other plays. In fact, Wilson has a reputation as a playmaker with a difference; his most likely target audience, and the adaptability of his awesome creations to the silver screen, have both been noted for their low response in a culture obsessed with identity and celluloid.
Read the rest of this entry »

• Marlon Brando Films Collectibles If you ask many people to name the greatest films of all time, many will name Marlon Brando films. He’s considered the greatest actor of all time by many movie fans and critics alike. Though he lived to be 80 years old and barely resembled his sex-symbol persona for......
• Information about American Coin Collectibles Sets There are many different coins which come in sets which are considered American coin collectibles. If you are looking to collect American coins sets for reasons of personal enjoyment to making a financial investment for the future there are several coin sets from which to choose from. Below is some......
• Ticket Stubs Collectibles -> Paper Collecting ticket stubs is a fun hobby that can be equally exciting and frustrating because tickets are one of the more rare items you can collect, whether they’re from sporting events, concerts, museum visits, political rallies and events, movies or other events that require tickets for admission.......
• Saving Money with a Government Loan Option Buying a home is part of the American dream. For more than half of a century, Americans have been set on finding homes to hang their hats. Owning a home is a sign of stability and pride. However, financing a home can be a nightmare that interrupts the American dream.......
• More Americans Thinking Obama Is Muslim One of the biggest stories this week was about the results of a poll taken by the Pew Research Center in which 18% of Americans  said they believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Time also ran a poll in which 24% responded the same way. This marks a 10%......

Fences tickets are the big ticket of the moment on Broadway, make no mistake about that. Denzel Washington’s Troy Maxson is a complex construction, and one that will remain with those who see it for a long time. The previous star of this production, James Earl Jones, was a more sudden effect (due to his imposing size) but Hollywood’s Denzel brings something else to the stage – deliberation and revelation, of a character’s present as well as his past. Audiences have been described as “diverse” at Fences on Broadway, but there is surely something radical and curious in the minds of them all that unites and illuminates. Fences is, after all, a play about race, about racism and the ways life’s obstacles can drag a great man down. But is Troy Maxson – was Troy Maxson – ever a great man, anyway? Buy Fences tickets and find out.
Read the rest of this entry »

• Minister Fired For Questioning Hell I spent four hours Friday driving to and from Atlanta, and the mind was focused predominantly on one subject during that time. The evening before, I was directed toward a story about a minister in rural North Carolina who had been fired from his church because he had started to......
• Gratitude- The Key to Happiness In today's world there are many things that can get us down. The job market is tight, we are living in a recession, we seem to have more health problems, and many of us are having a hard time making ends meet. Given this situation, it is easy for......
• Review: Follow the Roar: Tailing Tiger for All 604 Holes of His Most Spectacular Season by Bob Smiley Title - Follow the Roar: Tailing Tiger for All 604 Holes of His Most Spectacular Season Author - Bob Smiley ISBN - 0061690252 and 978-0061690259 Publisher - Harper Release Date - November 11, 2008 Format - Hardcover, 304 pages In January of 2008, Bob Smiley decided to follow the game......
• What Do You Want to Do With Your Life? Recently, I've been bombarded with this question by several different sources. I'm not the type to believe in signs, but I'm starting to wonder if someone is trying to tell me something. Each time the question has come about in the context of what do you want your career to......
• Fat, Sad, and Fake I recall reading about some study done that said that fat people are more likely to "appear" cheery and upbeat, since they had to mask their true feelings of sadness, depression, and disappointment. At the time I thought of a close friend of mine which has been obese his whole......

Fences on Broadway has already received some rave reviews and it has barely been open a couple for days. Fences tickets are selling fast as news travels about this unique play, set in Pittsburgh. The touching tale of the once talented athlete who hit the skids running unravels onstage in an urban backyard onstage, and has garnered much early praise for its strength of character and casting. Here are some of the things that the Broadway critics have said about the play this week.
Read the rest of this entry »

• Dermalogica Review on Skin Care System If you are looking for a line of skin care system that will help improve your current skin condition, try looking for a Dermalogica review online and it will tell you about it's unique yet simple line of skin care system, and this is one. Dermalogica's line of skin care......
• Let's Stop Promoting Washington Mutual Washington Mutual (a/k/a WaMu) is actively promoting its CD and deposit account products, including through some of my fellow personal finance bloggers.  I think this needs to stop. WaMu is on the brink of failure.  Yes CD's and deposit accounts are insured by FDIC but that is not the entire story. ......
• Juan Chela Defeats Querrey in Houston At the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston, Texas, over the weekend, Juan Ignacio Chela who is currently ranked #82 worldwide came out blazing and defeated Sam Querrey for his first win since 2007 and his fifth title.  He won the $79,900 prize, with Querrey taking home the second......
• My Doctor is Prescribing Medicine That Doesn't Exist On Friday I had an interesting experience. I went to pick up a prescription that I dropped off on Thursday. At the time they said it would be ready in a half hour if I wanted to wait. I told them to take their time, I'd be back tomorrow. They......
• Learning the Rope Tow Before you can learn how to ski, you’ve got to learn how to get to the top of the mountain. While the widespread use of chair lifts has made this a lot easier, many mountains still use rope tows, especially on beginner areas. They may look like simple contraptions, but......

When you buy Fences tickets you might be thinking about seeing Denzel Washington live on stage, but Fences is about more than the stars – it is a tried and tested drama about rage in America and what racial conflict can do to the finest of men. Don’t hesitate to buy Fences tickets – this is one of our finest onstage production and will move you out of your seat with its uncanny timeliness and thinly-veiled anger.

Denzel Washington makes Fences tickets a more appealing proposition, but you will exit the Cort Theatre feeling like you have witnessed history being made, such is the gravity of this awesome Pittsburgh backyard depiction of prejudice, tension and humanity.