Twist of Fate

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After a spring and summer of lame new musicals, finally the riveting show with a great score and a cast with big voices that we have all been waiting for. Twist of Fate, part of The York Theatre Company’s New2NY Series, based on a true story, was previously seen in Los Angeles a while ago where it won multiple awards. If enough critics see the limited week’s New York run, it should do just as well here. Hopefully it will move to a larger venue and a longer run.

With an exciting book and lyrics by Lissa Levin, Twist of Fate tells the story of fortuneteller Dominique St. Marie, a Romani woman who crosses the law as it turns out that her trade is illegal in California. When she is arrested by a Mexican police officer for predicting his fate, her case is taken pro bono by Michael Boardman, a Jewish attorney from the ACLU. While Boardman is fascinated by this dynamic woman, her daughter Olivia would prefer her mother to be like everyone else. When Dominique pleads not guilty on the grounds of free speech, Boardman finds he must consider such similar cases as the predictions of meteorologists, pollsters, political commentators and evangelists, who also do not really know the validity of their pronouncements. All of Dominique’s readings that we witness turn out to be true, but it is a twist of fate which leads to the surprising denouement. (She proves to be very good at reading people.)

Levin’s lyrics have unusual and surprising rhyme patterns which add to their interest. The powerful score with music by Ron Abel (who also plays a mean piano with the orchestra of five which sounds much bigger than it actually is) is performed by big talent: Lianne Marie Dobbs’ Dominique, Ben Jones’ Michael Boardman, Maya Lagerstam’s Olivia and Allyson Kaye Daniel in a series of roles including that of the Evangelist impress with the size of their voices and their technique. The uncredited orchestrations include violin and bongo solos which add texture to the songs.

The lush and varied score alternates between romantic songs and jazzy numbers with such impassioned winners as “Life in the Backseat”(Dominique and Olivia); “Pain Doesn’t Count When You’re Young” (Olivia); “I’ve Got Better Things to Do” (Michael);  “What Are You Doing to Me” (Michael and Dominique);  “I Surprise Myself” (Michael and Dominique); “You Should Have Been Somebody Else’s Child” (Dominique and Olivia); and “Not in the Cards” (Dominique and Michael).

Under Bill Castellino’s assured direction, the big production numbers (the first act finale, “Was It Something She Said?” and the finale of the reprise of the title song) are brilliantly staged with the entire cast in each. Although the performance is presented concert style with script in hand, the cast know their roles so well that one is never conscious that they are at times reading pages. The attractive slide projections by Peter Brucker set the stage which only uses chairs and tables for the Los Angeles settings. The uncredited costumes tend to be on the dark side which is also true of the lighting by Garett Pembrook which only makes the musical that much more sober and deep. Brucker’s sound design is a wonder of clarity making all of the clever lyrics easy to understand.

Dobbs gives a bigger than life performance as Dominique who bristles at being called a gypsy. Jones holds his own in the somewhat underwritten role of the lawyer with problems of his own. Lagerstam’s big voice and personality belie her playing the teenaged Olivia. Playing multiple roles, Daniel stops the show in her appearance as the Evangelist. Although David Baida as the pugnacious Detective Hernandez does not appear for long, he makes his presence felt. Joanna Carpenter and Victoria Casillo (subbing for Jillian Louis) are fine as a series of Angelinos from a stripper at Michael’s bachelor party to his sophisticated fiancée Brooke. Cal Mitchell and Eric Phelps round out the cast in minor characters such as Olivia’s non-Romani boyfriend (Mitchell) and another detective in Hernandez’s precinct (Phelps).

When was the last time you saw a new musical that did not make you want to rewrite, redirect or recast at least part of the show? Twist of Fate is one of those few properties that seem ready for the big time and will send you out completely satisfied with your evening in the theater. If this show is typical of the creators’ other unseen output, you can look forward to a wealth of future projects yet to come.

Twist of Fate (September 7 – 15, 2024)

York Theatre Company

New2NY: Fall 2024 Series

Theatre at Saint Jean’s, 150 E. 76^th Street, in Manhattan

For tickets, call 212-935-5820 or visit http://www.yorktheatre.org

Running time: two hours and 25 minutes with one intermission