Branford Marsalis to Compose Music for Broadway’s The Mountaintop

Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Branford Marsalis will compose original music for the Broadway production of Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop, which will begin previews at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 22, and which will open officially on October 13.

Kenny Leon will direct the two-character drama, which will star Academy Award nominees Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.

Set on April 3, 1968, the play is a reimagining of events the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Jackson) as he retires to Room 306 in the now famous Lorraine Motel in Memphis, after delivering his legendary ‘From the mountaintop’ speech to a massive church congregation. Once In the room, he’s visited by a mysterious young woman (Bassett) who forces him to confront numerous issues.

One of the world’s leading saxophone players, Marsalis received a Tony nomination for composing the original score to the hit Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Fences. He also recently received the NEA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.