Teachers and administrators have told me that demand for musical-theater training has risen steadily in the last 10 to 15 years: applications to college programs are increasing, and dance schools have seen musical-theater workshops overtake traditional jazz classes in popularity.
Other nominees on the list include Ronnie Scott's club in Soho and Club Eleven, which was closed following a police raid in 1950 after running for just two years, but which is seen as the crucible of modern British jazz.