Dolly Parton’s uproarious and heartening “9 to 5 The Musical” is expected to brighten dreary winter evenings with lively, toe-tapping tunes and a swirl of color Feb. 10, 11, Feb. 16-19 and Feb. 23-26, Civic Theatre, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.

“9 to 5 The Musical,” with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the 1980 film starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman. When three female coworkers get fed up with their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot” boss, they resort to kidnapping him and taking the reins of the company into their own hands.

“It’s a very empowering piece beyond the fact that it’s hilarious,” says Civic Theatre Artistic Director William Sanders, who’s directing the show.

“There’s still this sense in this country of not shattering the glass ceiling, that women are in many respects not equal to men yet and the fact that it’s still an issue,” says Sanders, co-choreographer of the musical with Mariel Letournaeu.

Regarding the trio of talented women who scheme to get even with their tyrannical boss, Franklin Hart Jr. (Robert Trexler), Sanders says, “Jan Labellearte (Violet Newstead) is a very strong comedic actress and she’s also reminiscent for me of Lily Tomlin. It was very important for me to, shall we say, tip my hat to the original film because the original film is very popular with people my age.”

Kathleen Oswalt plays Doralee Rhodes, originally played by Dolly Parton. Sanders says that even though Oswalt is nothing like Dolly Parton in real life she is a very versatile actress and up for the challenge.

“Nina Elias has a lot of the qualities that I think are important for Judy [Bernly] to have, including a kick-ass voice, because she has the big eleven o’clock number at the end when she throws her husband out,” Sanders says. “It’s called ‘Get Out and Stay Out’ and she is just really remarkable doing that song.”

Sanders seeks to pay homage to the classic film but also appreciates his cast’s fresh interpretations:

“I think that it was important, like I said, that they emulated what the original people brought to the film but also that they had aspects of their own personalities that they were able to [use in order to] make these women not cartoon characters but real. They think that the play has a resonance today that it had forty or so years ago,” Sanders says.

The enduring relevance of the show and its wide appeal contributed to the decision to stage “9 to 5” at Civic.

“We do ‘Christmas Carol’ every year, but two of the three spots are usually a musical that we hope that people will relate to and will do good box office for us because we are a nonprofit and we’re trying to make ends meet.

“But, at the same time, I’m trying to do stuff that people maybe haven’t seen before,” Sanders says.

“The score that Dolly wrote is really a toe-tapper. It’s really, really a marvelous score and we open with the number ‘“9 to 5,’ which everyone knows, but it’s turned into an opening number that introduces all of the main characters, which I think is really great.”

Sanders has witnessed the evolution of the original Broadway production of “9 to 5”:

“My friend and colleague, Joe Mantello, directed the original production. I actually had seen the first two readings of the show in New York before it was produced and it was really interesting to see the changes that had been made.

“I saw a couple of rehearsals and then was at the opening night on Broadway and got to talk to everybody. So, it’s really fun to go back to and certainly do a more scaled-down version than what they did. To have that experience and then be able get to work on it is a lot of fun.”

The set, designed by Alex Michaels and Marilyn Loose, is bursting with vibrant color even as the office desks and chairs remain ever-present.

“We started with really realistic settings and then we realized that it’s a musical,” Sanders says. “I’m always more gestural in terms of setting because I believe theater should be transformational and if you’re ramming a realistic set down someone’s throat it doesn’t leave much for the imagination and it doesn’t remind you that you’re having a theatrical experience.”

Costume and lighting design is by Will Morris and Steve Reisteter is musical director.

“[Will has] designed the show and we’ve rented some of it and it’s all very bright and period specific and hilarious because 1979 was not the most attractive period in art history,” Sanders quips.

“We’re using the full orchestrations and they’re beautiful. I’m really proud of Civic that we’re able to use the full orchestrations with a live professional orchestra because orchestras are going by the wayside.”

“9 to 5” goes for the laughs, but also has an uplifting message.

“I just want people to come and have a really, really good time. And I think the show itself is empowering on many levels, not only in terms of its feminism, but also in terms of self-empowerment.

“Realizing that there is good out there and you can make a difference and doing the right thing is always the best choice. I think that people will have a really, really fun time,” Sanders says.

Tickets: Civic Theatre Box Office, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown; CivicTheatre.com, 610-432-8943