You may have heard that the recessive gene for red hair will be gone by the end of the century. Not true: The rumor appeared to originate with a company testing for genetic ancestry, followed up by research from a certain Oxford Hair Foundation, which turned out to be backed by Procter & Gamble, a manufacturer of hair products. The meeting is structured, so to speak, around a series of “instructional tutorial musical lessons” — because people supposedly learn better when they are entertained. Adam Jackman, Ms. Thompson and Patrick Livingston wrote the book, which lands squarely in daffy “Urinetown” territory, minus that hit show’s craft and humor. Rodney Bush, the music director, provides solo keyboard accompaniment to Ms. Thompson’s songs, reinforcing the impression that we are at a cabaret evening run amok.

Source: New York Times August 20, 2018 17:36 UTC