Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance is premiering a musical version of a Shakespeare comedy and DeSales University Act 1 is presenting a musical inspired by the hit movie “9 to 5.”

Muhlenberg is staging “Twelfth Night” April 23 to April 26.

DeSales is presenting “9 to 5: The Musical” April 23 to May 3.

“Twelfth Night” is one of Shakespeare’s classic comedies. The Muhlenberg production is a contemporary musical version conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub with music and lyrics by Taub.

The show was performed by The Public Theatre in 2018 when it was named one of the best new theatrical works of the year.

Director James Peck was looking for a little joy when he selected “Twelfth Night” for the final production of Muhlenberg College’s 2025-’26 theater and dance season. The musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedy offers all the heart and humor of the original, Peck says, overflowing with a spirit of community and celebration.

“Illyria is a kind of magic place, where extraordinary things happen,” says Peck, Muhlenberg theater professor. “I thought it would be a gift to the cast and to the community to work on a show where joy was the predominant experience.”

“Twelfth Night” tells the story of Viola (Iris Jordan), a young heroine who washes up on the shores of Illyria, a bustling 21st century beach town in this staging.

She disguises herself as a man, is sent to court a countess and falls in love with a Duke. As she navigates the strange and wonderful new land, she finds her true self and true love in the process.

Jordan says the show brings a contemporary lens to Viola’s journey as she navigates identity and gender:

“Viola has to jump through all these hoops as an independent woman in Illyria.

“There’s a lot of confronting the patriarchy and asking, ‘Why am I treated differently when I look like a man, versus when I look like a girl?’”

While the show is filled with comedy, mistaken identities and romance, choreographer Noel Price-Bracey says it asks audiences to look beyond themselves. She cites the show’s closing number, “Eyes of Another,” which invites the audience to see the world around them from a different perspective.

Price-Bracey’s choreography blends a range of movement styles from traditional and contemporary forms.

The influence of African-American dance and the diaspora can be seen in the way choreography carries history and cultural memory.

“Love is the most powerful force in the world,” says Peck. “The musical is a celebration of that truth. At the end of the day, the musical means ‘love wins.’ And it’s about as simple as that.”

The adaptation has a score that blends Shakespeare’s language with a jazz-funk sound by Taub, a rising star on Broadway.

Taub, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, starred as Alice Paul in “Suffs,” won Tony awards for best book and best score for the show in 2024. She is performing on Broadway as Emma Goldman in “Ragtime.”

The show runs 90 minutes and is appropriate for all ages.

“Twelfth Night,” 8 p.m. April 23, 24, 25; 2 p.m. April 26, Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. Tickets: 484-664-3333; https://muhlenberg.edu

American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton wrote the music and lyrics for the Tony-nominated musical “9 to 5,” based on the hit 1980 film starring Parton, Lili Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

The stage musical, with new songs written by Parton, opened on Broadway in 2009.

In the story, three employees of Consolidated Industries, Violet, Doralee and Judy, become unlikely friends and hatch a scheme to take revenge on their misogynistic and lecherous boss, Franklin Hart Jr. When the scheme involves making Hart “unavailable,” the three women use their talents to make changes at Consolidated for the benefit of the employees.

The musical has big production numbers, including the Academy Award nominated title track “9 to 5.”

The show is directed by Valerie Joyce, music directed by Nathan Diehl and choreographed by Karen Getz.

There will be talk-backs with the cast after the April 26 and April 28 performances

There’s an audio-described and open-captioned performance for patrons who are blind or visually-impaired; and deaf or hard of hearing, 2 p.m. May 2.

The 7:30 p.m. May 2 performance is pay-what-you-will.

Join the cast for the “Clock Out & Cut Loose After Party” following the May 1 performance. The post-show soirée has a themed photo booth, craft activities, raffle, and “working 9 to 5”- worthy treats, including themed drinks and snacks.

“9 to 5: The Musical,” 7:30 p.m. April 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, May 1; 2 p.m. April 26, May 3; 9:45 a.m. April 27; 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. May 2, DeSales Act 1 Theatre, Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-3192; https://www.desales.edu

“Curtain Rises” is a column about the theater, stage shows, the actors in them and the directors and artists who make them happen. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com