The Shaarai Shpielers will perform the 25th annual Purimshpiel, "My Fair Esther," on Sunday, March 24, at 1:30 p.m. in the sanctuary at Congregation Shaarai Shomayim, 75 E. James St., Lancaster.

The Purimshpiel - from the Yiddish word spiel, meaning play - is a comic production in which participants wear costumes that depict the characters in the story in the Book of Esther, the central text and narrative that describes what transpired on Purim and why it has become an important Jewish holiday. Each year, the Shpielers take the songs from a particular American musical, parody the lyrics of those songs, and merge the themes of the musical with the story of the Book of Esther. In this year's production, the chosen musical is 1956 Lerner and Loewe Broadway musical "My Fair Lady."

Esther, who is Jewish, wants to apply to be the new queen, but she learns that her Jewish accent will disqualify her from consideration. She convinces her cousin Mordechai, a professor of speech at the University of Shushan, to prepare her for the royal ball, at which time King Ahashuerus will choose a new queen to replace the deposed Vashti. Meanwhile, Haman, the mean and anti-Semitic prime minister, convinces the king to issue a decree to kill all the Jews.

The principal actors will be Lisa Miller playing Esther, Kevin Babione as Mordechai, Stu Blumenthal as Ahashuerus, and Jason Meyer as Haman. Also performing are Missy DePietro, Melanie DeSantis, Anita Devlin, Tama Etra, Elin Ketels, Ilene Kochel, Bethany Kristich, Tyler Mandel, Schuyler Nissly, Rabbi Jack Paskoff, Abigail Rackliffe, Eliza Rackliffe, Harvey Scolnick, Colleen Stameshkin, Stacy Wessel, Carol Woodman, Jeff Woodman, Sally Woodman, and Alice Yerman. Alan Levine is the musical director, and Aaron Zinner is the technical director. The show is produced and directed, and was written, by David Stameshkin.

Admission is free. For more information, contact the Shaarai Shomayim office at 717-397-5575 or email Stameshkin at david.stameshkin@fandm.edu.