The 35th season of Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre goes from one extreme to the other.

Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre co-founder Charles Richter is fine with that.

Opening the season is "Avenue Q," June 10 - 28, winner of the Tony Award "triple crown" (Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book), billed as a hilariously adult take on classic children's characters.

The 10-time Tony Award winner "Hello, Dolly!" runs July 8 - 26, in which Jerry Herman's classic musical takes a whirlwind tour of New York at the turn of the 20th century, following the adventures of matchmaker Dolly Levi.

"'Avenue Q' is sort of the epitome of a contemporary feel-good musical. It's hip. It's a little bawdy. It's very funny," says Richter.

"It has an urban feel. It has an ironic feel. It reflects a contemporary mentality and it does it more effectively than any piece that has come down the pike in the last 15 or 20 years.

"And on the other side of the spectrum is 'Hello Dolly!' Some people say it's the last of the golden age of musicals. 'Hello Dolly!' was sort of the end of the era of that was started by Rodgers and Hammerstein ... the last of the Golden Age of Musicals.

The MSMT season also includes Doppelskope's new family musical, "Grimm!," June 17 - July 25, in its world debut.

Last summer, MSMT sold 11,569 tickets for its three productions and exceeded projected revenue by 10 percent, according to Scott Snyder, Marketing Manager, Muhlenberg College Department of Theatre & Dance.

MSMT draws about 93 percent of its audience from Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks and Berks counties. The remainder come from Philadelphia, western New Jersey, and families of cast members who are from out of the area.

About 115 will work at MSMT this summer, including cast, musicians, technical staff and administrative staff.

"Hello, Dolly!" and "Avenue Q" are being presented in Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. Empie Theatre, Baker Center for the Arts, isn't being used this summer by MSMT.

Of "Hello Dolly!," says Richter, who's directing the musical, "It's a beautifully-crafted musical comedy that has a terrific integration of libretto, music and dance. What it shares with 'Avenue Q,' in a way, is its humanity.

"The impetus to do the show came from Campbell Baird, our summer [MSMT scenic] designer. It was always his dream to do 'Hello Dolly!'"

Michael Schnack is music director. Karen Dearborn, Muhlenberg College Dance Program Chair, is choreographer. "We've put together a really strong corps of dancers. This is a production that's going to be light on its feet.

"I've always hesitated to do it. I saw the New York production. I wondered if we could pull it off. He [Baird] came up with an ingenious scheme." Baird is Associate Arts Professor, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

"If you're going to do 'Hello Dolly!,' you need a Dolly," Richter says. Mia Scarpa, a Muhlenberg College graduate, Class of '04, plays Dolly. Scarpa is co-director of Theatre Arts Education at Center Stage, Shelton, Conn.

"You need the spectacle and you need a great actress," says Richter of "Hello Dolly!." "If you get it right, you get a sense of the warm humanity, much like the humanity that underlies 'Avenue Q.'"

Jarrod Yuskauskas, Director of Theater, Upper School, Moravian Academy, is guest artist, playing Horace Vandergelder, the "half-a-millionaire" for whom Dolly is seeking a match.

"'Dolly' is a show that's difficult to do and it doesn't get revived that often," Richter says. "It's a great family show. And it's a great way to introduce children to the theater."

You may, however, want to let the kiddies at home for "Avenue Q."

"'Sesame Street' is an iconic form," says Richter. "They recast it with adults. It's ['Avenue Q'] certainly not for children. I think we're recommending it for 14 and above.

"It shares a certain whimsy and a deep humanity [with "Hello Dolly!"]. What it shares with 'Sesame Street' is its charm. It's a great deal of fun. It's very tuneful. And it's ingenious. It's what made 'Sesame Street' more than just a children's show with puppets.

"When we're talking about repertory for the summer theater, we ask: 'Is it high-quality material?' Robert Lopez ["Avenue Q' composer] is one of our most gifted contemporary composers. He also wrote 'Frozen.' He understands how musical theater works.

"He took a major trope in 'Sesame Street' and has turned it into something wonderful. Modern audiences who are weaned on 'Sesame Street' as children or parents can really relate to the form."

Bill Mutimer, Assistant Professor of Theatre Communications at Northampton Community College, is directing "Avenue Q" at MSMT. He directed the show this past season at NCC. Ed Bara is music director.

"One of the reasons I chose Bill to direct it is that he went to Avenue Q Puppet Camp, preparing for the NCC production.

"We get puppets form them [Avenue Q]. They send you rehearsal puppets. And then you have show puppets. You want them fresh for the production. We had a puppet seminar this week. We're already puppeteering."

"'Grimm!' is also puppets and people," Richter notes.

Doppelskope premiered its show, "Gruff," last summer at MSMT. The New York City-based troupe co-artistic directors are Christopher Scheer, a Muhlenberg College, Class of '07; Ora Fruchter, and music director Toby Singer. Scheer trained with the Jim Henson Company for "X-tink-shun: A Wild Puppet X-perience," a puppet show presented in 2011 at the Philadelphia Zoo. Fruchter and Singer perform in "Grimm!"

A free 45-minute workshop follows each performance of "Grimm!" Participants will explore their own family stories in a series of energetic hands-on activities designed to get kids up on their feet, thinking, playing and expressing themselves. Participation is limited, and advance registration through the box office is recommended.

"There's a puppet mindset around the theater [MSMT]," says Richter. "We like puppets. They're fun.

Tickets: muhlenberg. edu/SMT, 484-664-3333