Humorology, a musical comedy showcase put on annually by the University of Wisconsin Greek system to benefit Camp Heartland, opened Thursday night at the Memorial Union.

This year’s theme for the show is “Ready or Not.”

Groups audition for Humorology in December by performing the first half of their act, and only six groups make it to the final show. Various Humorology charity drives before December’s audition ensure the groups that were cut still contribute to the event.

Senior Nate Grede from the Acacia fraternity said this was his fourth year participating and explained the good-faith effort of the variety show.

“The culmination of our efforts is for a great cause,” Grede said. “As I went on, I could really see how much [the money raised] helps others.”

Grede said Humorology raised $30,000 for Camp Heartland last year. Camp Heartland is a camp for children who have been affected by AIDS.

The children’s parents or family members often suffer from the disease. This year the show also benefits the Chris Farley Foundation, which supports alcohol awareness in teenagers and young adults.

In honor of this year’s new partnership with the Chris Farley Foundation, founded in memory of actor Chris Farley, the actor’s brother Tom will attend Humorology this year.

Grede said he believes the show’s goal is to raise between $40,000 and $50,000 this season.

Humorology is a longstanding Madison tradition and the largest student-run philanthropy in the Midwest, according to Aly Teich, a senior from Delta Gamma sorority and a member of the Humorology Executive Board.

“We’re in our 57th year,” she said. “This year’s group of six shows is by far the strongest set of shows in the history of Humorology.”

Teich noted Humorology is a performance geared mainly toward college students.

“It’s not your typical musical,” she said. “The music is anywhere from Beyoncé to Bon Jovi, with new words and a lot of college humor.”

Each year, fraternities and sororities work together in pairs to devise a script and choreography for a 20-minute musical comedy based on a common theme.

Junior Kristi Eastwood from the Gamma Phi Beta sorority went from being a dancer in Humorology the first two years of college to being a director this year.

“I’ve been performing all my life, and this has been a great way to keep it up,” she said. “The two most rewarding aspects of [the show] are raising money for a good cause and having an amazing time while doing it. You get to meet a lot of new people in the cast and find people you have common interests with.”

All the students who participate in Humorology are volunteers.

“I’d say we practice between 10 to 15 hours per week,” Grede said. “And it’s not just dancing and singing and having fun — that’s an add-on to the fact that it’s for Camp Heartland and the Chris Farley Foundation.”

Not all members of the Humorology casts have experience in the performing arts.

“Some of the cast members have been dancing and singing for years, but others have never done it before, and this is a great opportunity for them to try something new in a relaxed setting,” Eastwood said.

The six shows will be judged Thursday through Saturday night at Wisconsin Union Theater. At the end of Saturday’s performance, judges will announce awards.

According to Eastwood, the Humorology Executive Board chooses new judges each year from the UW music school, theater school and dance team, as well as from assorted Humorology alumni.

“These students basically run Humorology,” she said.