Hannah works across numerous platforms and formats across musical theatre, popular music, Black Studies, and community-engaged research. They are currently working on two narrative non-fiction projects, an academic monograph on intersectionality and musical theatre, and projects exploring race, identity formation, and popular culutre.
Academic Research
Too Darn Hot: Kiss Me, Kate and the Making and Remaking of a Broadway Musical. Oxford University Press. 2026
Too Darn Hot is the first dedicated academic text on the hit musical Kiss Me, Kate (1948). It uses the original Broadway production as a touchstone for exploring the strong personalities and clashing creative agendas that shaped the show into a landmark work of entertainment.
Podcasts and Shows
You’re Dead to Me. BBC Sounds. Comedy history podcast. Returning guest expert
Hannah has appeared twice on You’re Dead to Me with comedian Desirée Burch. Their first episode on the history of the Broadway musical revealed the hidden layers of Black history at the heart of the genre. Their second appearance was to illuminate and celebrate the career of trailblazing African American film star Lena Horne.
Writing and creative Work
Lies We Tell About Colourblind Casting. Zine. 2026
As an academic, consultant, and sensitivity reader, Hannah has been exploring the relationship between race and how actors are cast in popular entertainment and musical theatre. This zine distills that work into a short accessible snapshot of key ideas and messages to consider.
Dr Hannah Robbins 