What happens when the mob meets art? Wickedly funny comedy, according to Rory Mattson.

Mattson is directing Albert Lea Community Theatre’s production of “Breaking Legs” by Tom Dulack. It opens Thursday at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.

When a college English teacher, Terence (played by Craig Johnson), writes his first play about death, he calls on a favorite former student Angie Graziano (Lindsay Beach) to help him find a producer and financial backer for his show to bring it to Broadway. Her father, Lou (Larry Pierce), not only runs an Italian restaurant, but is the head of a local Italian organization. When the godfathers tackle show business, they’re “way starstruck,” Mattson said.

The show also features Mark Place as Mike, Steve Schwartz as Tino and Brian Mattson as Frankie.

“They know nothing about theater, but they want to turn the play into a musical,” the director said.

The show has some “wild ethnic characters,” he said, adding the last real ethnic show ACT produced was “Fiddler on the Roof,” back when plays were presented at Southwest Middle School’s Little Theatre.

Mattson said in recent years, with the exception of “Leading Ladies,” he’s been directing musicals. “ wanted to get back to straight comedy,” he said of choosing the play.

The challenge in putting the show together has been scheduling. The show was originally set to be performed in October, but Angie had to be re-cast because of a conflict. “But once the guys all agreed they’d wait three more weeks, it all came together,” the director said.

Mattson said he is delighted to have Beach in the show. “She’s very talented,” he said.

Albert Lea Community Theatre’s production of “Breaking Legs” will be presented Nov. 12-14 and Nov. 18-21 at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.

For tickets, call the box office at 377-4371. Box office hours are from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. before Thursday and Friday performances, and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. before Saturday performances.

Beach has acted with Rochester Civic Theatre, but most recently has worked backstage. “It’s fun to get back on stage,” she said.

She likes the play for its “quirky family dynamic,” she said. “As exaggerated as some of it is, people are still going to look at it and say, ‘That’s my dad,’ or ‘That’s my uncle.’”

Pierce said he’s enjoying this dark comedy, which is different from any show he’s done in the past. The Owatonna resident guesses he’s done about 25 shows in Albert Lea, starting with “The Foreigner” in 1989.

He said the cast has blended well. “I think we’ve all looked forward to coming to rehearsal,” Pierce said.

This is Johnson’s first show in Albert Lea. While he’s done a number of shows in Austin, he too hasn’t been on stage in a while.

“I think people will find more of a story than they would guess,” Johnson said. “There’s a father-daughter relationship and a couple other personal stories.”

Schwartz describes his character as the one for “stablizing the comic relief.

“I have page after page of nothing, then I get a zinger,” he said.

“It’s like being on a basketball team and spending 80 percent of the time without the ball,” Schwartz added.

Plus, he enjoys comedies and shows that Mattson directs, he said.

“It shows a different life than any of us knows,” Schwartz said. “It’s good theater, well-written and funny.”

Place describes his character as a wise guy, who with his schoolyard buddies, never grew up.

“Mikey never graduated from seventh grade, and he tells everyone that,” Place said.

He said he finds a lot of humor in this bunch of guys getting involved in something they know nothing about.

Mattson said some of the language has been cleaned up, but it’s still an adult comedy. He recommends it for high school age and older.

The crew includes Tony Segura and Rachael Thompson as stage managers, Kris Barley as tech stage manager, Karen Szymanowski as property stage manager, Kathy Brekke as prop tech, Rosalie Truax as costumer, Gordy Handeland on lights and properties and Deanne Winegar as production manager.

Why should people see “Breaking Legs”?

“It’s a nice night out,” Pierce said, adding the show is “a little distance from reality.

“Don’t look for any big message in this.”