‘Twist of Fate’ a Slender Tale

Fortune seldom smiles on “Twist of Fate,” the new musical at the Tiffany Theater.

Librettist Lissa Levin and composer Ron Abel collaborated on this slender tale of Dominique (Lisa Raggio), a Gypsy fortuneteller arrested for illegally plying her trade to an undercover cop. The love interest is Dominique’s defense attorney, Michael (Dan Gerrity); conflict comes courtesy of her headstrong teenage daughter, Olivia (Tia Texada).

Director Ron Link’s handsome production has a cheery buzz that helps disguise the lack of substance. But the book is far too weak to sustain an ambitiously mounted musical of this sort. The dialogue is a veritable flea market of tired ethnic jokes, and viewers will find little original or interesting about the characters.

The creators hardly fare better with the songs. Only one--the up-tempo “Life in the Backseat”--has a strong melodic line, and the awkward titles (e.g., “Pain Doesn’t Count When You’re Young,” “You Should’ve Been Somebody Else’s Child”) signal similarly ill-fated lyrics.

Raggio, amusingly Bette Midler-ish here, leads the accomplished cast. Here’s hoping the future holds better vehicles for all.

* “Twist of Fate,” Tiffany Theater, 8532 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m., Sundays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Indefinitely. $22.50-$25. (310) 289-2999. Running time: 2 hours, 25 minutes.