The cast of Masquerade Theatre's production of Galveston!: Dave RossmanIf the Galveston Chamber of Commerce ever starts distributing theatrical prizes, Galveston! is a shoo-in.

Yet apart from being the catchiest musical ever written in tribute to 1920s-’30s Galveston, the new show presented by Masquerade Theatre is wildly uneven — with flaws and rough spots aplenty but some strengths as well.

Set in the years 1910-’42, the show offers a fictionalized chronicle of real-life brothers Salvatore and Rosario Maceo, immigrants from Sicily who began as barbers, then prospered as bootleggers during Prohibition, and later, as operators of nightspots such as the Balinese Room. The show’s take is that, despite their ties to gambling and other illegal activities, Sam and Rose (as they became known) were basically good guys because they generated business and fun times, while giving generously to worthy causes.

The book (by Andree Newport, Robert Wilkins and Mark York) plods dutifully along, noting key events of the brothers’ lives. The chief problem is that it never generates much urgency. Sam and Rose have a few setbacks, when bluenoses manage to shut down a club once or twice, or big time mobsters from Chicago try to intrude on the Maceos’ surf-turf. But the brothers tough it out, or slip some cash to the right person, and the problem is solved. Next scene, back to business as usual.

There’s not much conflict in the two love stories, either. Each brother falls for an understanding lady, and it’s smooth sailing. Sure, Sam’s wife, Edna Sedgewick, tries a fling at Hollywood for a few scenes. Then, she misses Sam (and Galveston) and comes home.
Photo by: Dave Rossman
The authors, as well as director Phillip Duggins, seem so determined to deliver a Hallmark valentine to the Maceos (and Galveston), that for such a sassy milieu, the show comes across surprisingly tame, with little real bite.

The saving grace is that many of York’s songs have good tunes, whether ballads such as One in a Million or up-tempos like It’s a Party Every Night. Especially with strong voices from the four leads (Luther Chakurian and Michael J. Ross as the Maceos, Kristina Sullivan and Laura Babbitt as their wives), the periodic arrival of a catchy, neatly constructed showtune keeps interest afloat.

Duggins has directed his cast to play it gutsy and energetic, the supporting roles as broad cartoons — though the whole show could profitably lose about 30 minutes.

To view the endeavor from another perspective — given the challenges of creating a homegrown, full-scale, big-cast, old-fashioned musical — sizable chunks of Galveston! are better than you might expect.

GALVESTON!
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
Tickets: $30-$60; 713-868-9696