By Bill Novak

The pioneer spirit shown in "Little House on the Prairie" lives on.

The cast from the musical, which is currently playing at the Overture Center, will be swinging hammers instead of singing songs on Thursday, helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house on Madison's east side.

Melissa Gilbert, who gained fame as Laura in the TV series in the 1970s and now plays Ma in the stage musical, will lead the cast and crew in working on the house being constructed at 3505 Ridgeway Avenue.

The special build event, scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Thursday, is part of a 26-city housebuilding schedule, done in conjunction with the musical tour, where cast members have been building with local Habitat affiliates and their families.

The musical runs through Sunday at the Overture Center.

At the end of the tour this spring, a minimum of $1,500 will be donated from the musical to Habitat affiliates in each of the show's tour markets.