Two area colleges are opening shows, one a political satire, the other a musical based on a 19th century Russian novel.

Muhlenberg College Theatre and Dance presents “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” a musical inspired by “War and Peace,” Oct. 31 - Nov. 3.

Northampton Community College Department of Theatre kicks off its season with the political comedy, “The Minutes,” Oct. 23 - 27.

Leo Tolstoy’s 1,000-page novel, “War and Peace,” might conjure up memories of high school English class, but “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” Dave Malloy’s musical adaptation of the novel, is more likely to transport you to a Russian nightclub on Tolstoy theme night in director James Peck’s vision of the musical.

“This show offers the chance to watch a musical do something you didn’t necessarily know a musical could do,” Peck says. “It incorporates an incredible range of stylistic influences, from Russian folk music to electronica, contemporary pop to opera recitative.

“The way he juxtaposes those influences, at some level it shouldn’t work. And yet it one-hundred percent works,” says Peck.

“Great Comet” focuses on a 70-page sliver of events from the original novel. The musical centers on miserable, philosophizing Pierre (Samuel Roter) and young Natasha (Maddie Ciliento).

Natasha arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé Andrey from the Napoleonic wars. Bewitched by the glitz and glamor of high society, Natasha falls hard for Pierre’s friend Anatole (Luke McIntyre), and the ensuing scandal changes their lives forever.

Peck says the primary antagonist of “Great Comet” is the ensemble and their mob mentality toward the main characters.

“The ensemble is pretty malevolent towards Natasha, and to a lesser extent, Pierre,” says Peck. “Anatole acts as a malevolent force of the play, but he is the point of the spear of the ensemble as a whole.”

“Anatole represents the high society character who has been told all of his life how great he is,” adds McIntyre. “He represents the idea that men can get away with anything.”

Scenic designer You-Shin Chen incorporates circular platforms and orbital shapes to pay homage to the great comet, which was visible in the night sky for more than eight months in 1811 and 1812.

At the end of the musical, the cosmos comes into focus, providing a broader scope of the world beyond Moscow. Peck sees the comet streaking across the sky as a moment of clarity for the characters.

“Redemption is possible, even for you,” Peck says.

There is a content advisory that the show includes references to mental illness and attempted suicide, depictions of excessive alcohol consumption, predatory masculinity, gun violence, and use of ethnic slurs in reference to Romani people.

“Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” 8 p.m. Oct. 31, Nov. 1; 2, 8 p.m. Nov. 2; 2 p.m. Nov. 3, Empie Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, Muhlenberg College 2400 Chew St., Allentown. 484-664-3333; https://muhlenberg.edu

Northampton Community College has chosen the Pulitzer Prize-nominated humorous portrayal of democracy in action by Tracy Letts to open just before Election Day.

“The Minutes,” a record-breaking hit production from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, takes a hard look at the inner workings of a city council meeting.

Hypocrisy, greed and ambition bubble to the surface when a newcomer to the small town of Big Cherry starts to ask the wrong questions, such as: “Why is someone on the council mysteriously missing?,” “Is there something going on with the city’s finances?” and “Why are the minutes from the last meeting being kept secret?”

“The Minutes” was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2018. It was scheduled to open on Broadway in March 2020, but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It finally opened on Broadway in 2022 and was nominated for the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play.

Says director Claire Freeman, “The cast had an exciting time learning stage combat for the show, and we can’t wait to bring that energy to the stage.”

The cast includes Travis Nugent, Max Wetherhold, Tiah Fontno, Rasheed Aziz, Andrew Maldonado, Daniel VanArsdale, Maximilian Cole, Anna Hartman, Kayla Rosado, Jerry Brucker and Aidan Weller.

“The Minutes,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, 25, 26; 2 p.m. Oct. 27, Lipkin Theater, Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem Township. 484-484-3412, https://www.ncctix.org/

“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.