
MUSICAL THEATRE AND ALL THAT JAZZ
About this network
This AHRC network brings together an international group of scholars to exchange ideas about connections between musical theatre and jazz in dialogue with practitioners and industry workers. Through these exchanges, the network aims to develop new approaches, practices and conceptions at the intersection of forms and understandings. Network events are convened by Prof. George Burrows (ÂÒÂ×ÉçÇø) and Prof Nicholas Gebhardt (Birmingham City University).
For more information, please contact mtjazz@port.ac.uk.
Why explore connections between musical theatre and jazz?
Musical theatre references jazz in its music and performance styles and in its representations of race, gender, sexuality and class. Conversely, jazz has adopted features of musical theatre in its repertoire of ‘standards’ and approaches to performing, recording and marketing. While such intersections have sometimes been acknowledged, the understandings, features and practices common to both forms have not been explored in detail before or considered for their meanings and developmental potential. The Musical Theatre and All That Jazz Research Network seeks to put that right and to see what can be gained by working across or between forms.
What sorts of questions will the network explore?
What does it mean that shows as diverse as Pal Joey (1940), Gypsy (1959), Chicago (1975), City of Angels (1989) and Lady Day (2014) directly reference jazz?
What is the merit of reading celebrated jazz performances, like John Coltrane’s recordings of ‘My Favorite Things’, relative to their musical theatre origins?
What happens when jazz musicians create work with musical theatre professionals?
What is gained for scholarship, practice and industry in conceiving of a cross-disciplinary and international understanding of forms, practices and meanings?
What is an AHRC research network?
The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) aims to stimulate new debate and exchange of ideas between researchers and stakeholders on a specific thematic area or issue by covering costs for workshops, seminars, networking activities or other events. For more details
How can I access the network and what is involved?
The network is accessible to anyone with an interest in its scope. It features a number of public events during its 18-month run, many of them available online by following links on this page, including keynote lectures, panel discussions and performances. Scholar discussions begin by considering ‘histories, materials and methods’ before turning to debate ‘forms, discourses and identities’ and then ‘audiences, policies and industries’. Scholars of any discipline are welcome to join the network membership for these discussions and anyone working within the musical theatre and jazz industries is also most welcome.
To get involved, simply drop us an email. You can also follow us on social media.
Our members
As our research network grows, so does its membership.
We’re still actively recruiting members, so we'll be adding more names to the list below as they're confirmed.
Who we are
To view an academic's profile, please click their name (all links open in a new window).
- (ÂÒÂ×ÉçÇø)
- (Birmingham City University)
- David Linton (Kingston University)
- (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
- Phoebe Rumsey (ÂÒÂ×ÉçÇø)
- David Roesner (University of Munich)
- (University of Lincoln)
- (University of Liverpool)
- Emily Moonesinghe
- Victoria Boyce (Practitioner)
- Hannah Price (Practitioner)
- Shari John-Jules (Practitioner)
- Simon Lambert (Practitioner)
- Matthew Burns (Practitioner)
- James Mainwaring (Practitioner)
- Rob Gathercole (Practitioner)
- Hannah Robbins (University of Nottingham)
- Sven Bjerstedt (Lund University)
- Anna Bull (University of York)
- Daphne A. Brooks (Yale University)
- Thomas A. Riis (University of Colorado Boulder)
- John Craven (Kings College, University of London)
- Marianne Larsen (Munich Theatre Academy)
- Josef E. Köpplinger (Gärtnerplatztheater, Munich)
- Lars Hansen is a highly versatile bass player and teacher who has worked in jazz ensembles as much as musical theatre orchestra pits
- Petter Frost Fadnes (University of Stravanger)
- Julian Woolford (University of Surrey)
- Dustyn Martincich (Bucknell University)
- William Allenby (University of Chichester)
Partners and funding
The Musical Theatre and All That Jazz network is the recipient of funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and run in partnership with Birmingham City University.



Media
Bittersweet Performance
[Music]
Host:
Gentlemen, club is open for business. Please come in.
Host:
Hello. Welcome. Please come in. Please come in. If you make your way over to Justin, welcome to the night and day. Please come this way with me. Thank you very much. And have a seat right here.
Host:
Thanks. Thank you. Uh, welcome to the light of day. Please come inside.
Host:
Let's have three people here, please. Three people here.
Host:
Welcome. Welcome to the Night and Day Club. Thank you so much for coming. We have four people here, please. Thank you so much.
Host:
You're welcome. Welcome. Welcome to the night and day. Thank you for coming. This way, please. One of the nights.
Host:
Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks. Welcome. Welcome. Please come this way. We have three people here.
Host:
Thank you so much. Welcome. Welcome back.
[Music]
Host:
Welcome. Hello. Welcome. Please follow this way with me and have—
Guest (J):
Thank you so much.
Host:
So, what would you like to drink, Jane?
Jane:
A whiskey and an orange.
Jonah:
An orange juice.
Host:
Okay. What's it? Jonah?
Jane:
Jonah.
Host:
A whiskey and an orange juice, please.
Jane:
Thank you.
[Music]
Host:
Welcome to the United. Thank you so much for being here. It's so lovely to see so many faces. Night and day.
Performer:
The beat is jumping for joy.
I got a slamming. Best musician in London.
This is the place for loud.
Night and day.
You are my client's house.
All kinds of people.
I can tell a glass of wine or two.
Whiskey and champagne are awesome.
[Music]
Guest:
What's that?
[Music]
Performer:
Night and day. This is my John.
All the beat is jumping for joy.
I got a slam and bang.
Best musicians in London.
This is the place for loud.
[Applause]
Guest:
Can I have another one, please?
Bartender:
Oh yeah. Coming right up. So, are you enjoying this evening's show so far?
Guest:
Yeah, the music is fantastic. These guys are brilliant.
Host:
I'm sure I recognize you. Have I seen you around here before? Do you come here often?
Guest:
I don’t think so. Not particularly.
Host:
How long have you worked here?
Bartender:
Oh, as long as I can remember. My family owned the place, so I’ve been helping out ever since I was a little boy. I’ve been serving wine since I was nine.
Guest:
That’s fine. Very good. I imagine you think you're some sort of poet.
Bartender:
And don’t I know it?
Host:
So, uh, why don’t you tell me who this glass of whiskey is for?
Bartender:
Huh? None of your business.
Guest:
It's okay. I can guess. Let me see...
You come to the jazz club, the lights are low, music's packed...
I think you're here for a first date.
[Music]
[Singing Begins – Duet / Performer(s)]:
Holding hands at midnight, the starry sky.
And you can get it if you try.
Strolling with the one... sigh after sigh.
Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try.
Loving one who loves you, and then making that vow.
Nice if you can get it. If you can get it, won’t you tell me how?
[Music Interlude]
Performer:
One, two, one, two, one, two, three!
The rings, please. You make us cry.
[Music]
Host:
I'm not—
[Music]
Guest:
So, is that it?
Host:
No. What?
Guest:
Jonah, come on. Get back to work. Come on, come on. Make yourself useful.
Jonah:
Yes, ma'am. Right away.
[Music]
Host:
Well, actually, here at the Night and Day, we like to say anytime is a good time to celebrate. So, let's have some musical cocktail requests.
Host:
Right. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, if you look on your tables in front of you, you'll see we've got our musical cocktail menu. Some delectable treats. We’d like to know what you’d like to hear this evening.
Host (to audience):
You there — you fancy sampling this evening?
Audience Member:
Bluesy Mary.
Host:
Bluesy Mary. Fantastic choice.
Host (to another table):
How about over here? What takes your fancy this evening?
Audience Member:
Espresso Martini.
Host:
Classic. Okay, let's get one more suggestion. How about from this table?
Audience Member:
Yeah. Syncopated Sidecar.
Host:
Syncopated Sidecar? That sounds fun. Okay, yes! Let’s do a Syncopated Sidecar.
Simon, take a rest. I got this one.
[Music Performance: Syncopated Sidecar]
[Performance Continues]
Guest (late arrival):
Hello everybody!
Host:
Hey, you missed my big moment.
Late Guest:
Yeah, sorry, work stuff. But I caught the end of it. Very impressive.
Host:
Thank you very much. My mother was an amazing pianist. She taught me everything I know.
Late Guest:
Wow. All that syncopation.
Host:
Yeah. You like it?
Late Guest:
Is there anybody musical in your family?
Guest:
Oh. Sorry — something important.
Host:
Work stuff?
Late Guest:
Never stops. Hope they’re paying you overtime on a Friday evening.
Host:
You know how it is. Meetings. People being rubbish.
Late Guest:
Yeah. I get it now.
Host:
What?
Late Guest:
You’re not here on a date, are you?
Host:
Oh, we’re still playing this game?
Late Guest:
Yes, we are. This is fun for me.
Host:
It’s not particularly fun.
Late Guest:
You're a high-flying businesswoman here for an important meeting.
[Music]