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.”
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