What do you get when you cross “Romeo and Juliet” with “The Importance of Being Ernest?”

You get “Thugs: A Musical Mafiasco.”  With a title like that, you’d think it would have nothing in common with such refined shows, but the elements are there in this side-splitting comedy.

The story takes place in a small Illinois town in the 1930s.  Romy and Julia are two teenagers in love, but both their fathers are competing dons for the mafia.  They want to marry and lay the feud to rest, but their parents will have none of it.

Into their lives venture four strangers.  Two are out-of-work mobsters who are fairly dim bulbs.  They’re both employed by someone named Anthony Sartori.  The problem is that two different people are claiming to be him.

It gets complicated for the two lovers, the two goons, the two fathers and the two imposters – not to mention the nice woman who runs the diner and might know more than she lets on.

This is a musical, and the songs are snappy and move the story along in a flash.  The costumes and set design are also topnotch.

But without the Driftwood Players’ well-suited cast, it would all be for not.

Paris Giese plays the frustrated Julia.  She’s a new face in this theater.  Hopefully we’ll see her again soon.

James H. Cogswell plays the irrepressible Romy.  He too is new to the acting scene.  Next fall, he’ll be going to New York to expand his acting horizons.

Emily Lauckhart plays Gina.  Believe it or not, she’s one of the people trying to pass herself off as Anthony Sartori.  As cross-dressers go, she’s in a suit by herself.

The other Anthony Sartoni is played by Doug Dearmin.  He made a dramatic appearance last fall in “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Jay Vilhauer plays one of the two losers who come to town looking for a quick paycheck and a piece of pizza.  You might remember him as the Tin Man in last fall’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

His cohort Louie is played by Driftwood Players veteran Justin Tinsley.  He too made an appearance in their production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Larry Strong plays the Dolly Llama of the mobsters’ Don Cappuccino.  He knows all – or so he claims.

Romy’s father Don Montecarlo is played by Terry Boyd.  He’s the Ebenezer Scrooge of the group.  He values his bank account almost as much as he does his son.

Cindy Giese French plays the delightful Mama Risotto who runs the diner and acts as a go-between with many of the characters.  She was in last February’s production of “Steel Magnolias.”

And last but not least is “the Shark” played by Keith A Gehrig.  Who is the Shark?  He’s a hit man, sought after by many, who seems too sweet for his reputation.

Don’t miss this mob hit.  It’s a proposition one shouldn’t refuse.

“Thugs: A Musical Mafiasco” is playing at the wade James Theatre now through May 11.

For ticket information call: (425) 774-9600.