As the house lights shine on the stage, a cast of about 100 performers from around the neighborhood, ranging from ages nine to 90, sings in harmony to unify the community.

The Bannockburn Spring Show is a satirical show compiled of songs and skits about a variety of issues, which are written and performed by members of the community. The cast and crew will celebrate their 56th show this year with a “Spring Show Night Live” theme with skits that mimic the show’s style. Show dates run from May 3 to May 12.

Director Keith Parsky started meeting with the production team in December and was eager to assume his role as director after years of experience in film, television and theater, he said.

“As a former news anchor and current Board Vice President at Adventure Theatre, directing was a gleam in my eye,” he said. “The production team and I never stop thinking about Spring Show, so I’m putting in every available minute into my work.”

Writer Jim Mahaffie, a Whitman parent who has been a part of the show since 1999, said that the quality of material makes for a truly entertaining performance that exhibits the creativity spread throughout the neighborhood.

“We have an extremely well-informed and intelligent neighborhood, and the writers are superb,” he said. “We get really good, funny songs to work with because there are several lawyers and other frustrated writers that really love to craft a funny song.”

Any member of the community is given the opportunity to submit original lyrics to the tune of a popular song, and a production team approves and selects the best songs. All members participate in the opening and closing numbers and are casted in individual numbers that involve no more than 15 people.

AP Environmental Science teacher Kelly Garton, a drummer for the show, became a part of the music crew in 2007 when Mahaffie and math teacher Jim Kuhn encouraged him to join the show.

“Being a part of the community and raising funds for the clubhouse is a great feeling,” Garton said. “It’s a great excuse for me to play the drums and now that my kids are performing in the show, I get to spend more time with them, too.”

As an annual fundraiser for the 110-year-old Bannockburn Club House, the show raises an average of $16,000 from ticket sales for maintenance and renovations. The show, which includes seven performances in early May, sells out every year, seating up to 120 people each night, said ticket sales co-chair and Whitman parent Joanne Hustead.

Junior Michelle Huey, who started performing in the show 10 years ago, said that participating in the show is a unique social experience that gathers neighbors of different ages from all over the community.

“This year was the hardest year for me to return because of the difficulty of junior year,” Huey said. “I love meeting and interacting with people from different generations that I wouldn’t usually befriend otherwise, so not participating this year just wouldn’t have felt right.”

As the cast and crew rehearse for the 56th show, Mahaffie said that he has started to realize what a ceaseless phenomenon it has become.

“You may see parody song revues in some non-profit organization or company party, for instance,” he said.”But nowhere will you find a neighborhood-organized and performed show that has survived more than 10 presidents, 9/11, Vietnam, Watergate and JFK’s assassination.”