The wonderful thing about an iconic show like "Hello, Dolly!" is that it pretty much sells itself. Since opening on Broadway in 1964, Jerry Herman's 10-time Tony Award-winning classic has enchanted the eyes, tickled the funny bone and touched the heart.

The difficulty lies in crafting a production that lives up to such a grand reputation. In his 35th annual season, Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre Director, Charles Richter, armed with a talented cast and crew, is up to the challenge. "Hello, Dolly!" runs July 8 - 26, Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown.

"I saw the original production many, many years ago and I was dazzled by the spectacle and the music and the dancing. It was a musical that I always thought would take a huge effort to put it on, and I think this year we're ready to do it," Richter says.

"Hello, Dolly!" is set in New York City at the turn of the century and follows the escapades of widowed socialite-turned-matchmaker Dolly Levi as she "arranges things like furniture and daffodils and lives." She sets about to find a wife for Horace Vandergelder, a bad-tempered "half-a-millionaire" hay and feed merchant, but secretly plans to snag him for herself.

As the musical unfolds, the brash Dolly weaves a tangled scheme involving Vandergelder, his niece and her beau, his two store clerks, a milliner and her assistant. She humorously woos Vandergelder while simultaneously trying to set up the other couples.

The backdrop to all of the plotting is an extravagant set designed by Campbell Baird, who at one time worked with original scene designer, Oliver Smith. It's a big part of creating the spectacle, Richter says, adding that it "epitomizes Broadway in its Golden Age.

"It's going to be extremely lavish," Richter continues. "There are trains and horse cars and there's a feed store and a restaurant. We're really excited about it."

Adding to the spectacle are a great score and big dance numbers. "All the songs work really, really well," says Richter. "We also have very strong dancers here at Muhlenberg and Karen Dearborn is a wonderful choreographer and I knew she would have a great time staging the dances."

The musical's grand scale doesn't eclipse a compelling story, Richter emphasizes. "There's always the young people who have to jump out into the world and take control of their lives and I think that is what this play is about.

"And I think there are people who have suffered losses in the world who have to pick themselves up and go on in spite of what happens and I think that's at the core of this story.

"It's about a woman who's picking herself up and is not going to give in and is going to take control of the situation and I think that's something that is a very, very important story to tell in this day and age.

"I think it's not only going to be a dazzling spectacle but it's also very funny, and it's also very moving because it's a musical that tells us that we have to live life to the fullest and that we can't give up on ourselves and I think that's an important message today."

Helping to deliver that message is Muhlenberg alum Equity guest artist, Mia Scarpa, who plays the title role of Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi.

Jarrod Yuskauskas is Horace Vandergelder. Eileen Veghte is Irene Molloy. Ryan Skerchak is Cornelius Hackl.

"We have a wonderful Dolly," Richter says. "[Mia] … graduated from Muhlenberg about 10 years ago and she's a bundle of energy so she's going to be great at everything she does."

Scarpa is thrilled to be back: "I am so excited and feel so fortunate to be back at Muhlenberg, my alma mater, which I love so much and especially to be working with Charlie and Karen after so many years. They are such wonderful mentors in my life so I'm very excited to get back in there with the two of them."

Scarpa appeared in "Hello, Dolly!" at Center Stage Theatre in Shelton, Conn., at the age of seven. She now directs and choreographs at Center Stage alongside her parents, who founded the theater.

"It was a long time ago and I remember it being quite fun, but it's sort of a blur to me now as an adult," Scarpa says. "So, when Charlie asked me to come and do it, I sort of reintroduced myself to the songs and the script and was quite excited about that. It was sort of like seeing it for the first time. A lot of the tunes came back to me, but it was sort of like a brand new script."

Scarpa says that even if audiences are unfamiliar with the show itself, "There are some moments in the show that are quite famous that the audience might recognize quickly. Maybe 'Before The Parade Passes By' or 'Put On Your Sunday Clothes,' which was in the Pixar movie, 'Wall-E,' so that's kind of fun.

"The title song, 'Hello, Dolly!,' has been recorded by tons of artists over the years, so I think it will be a very familiar tune," Scarpa adds. "I love to do a show like this, a real classic musical where the audience might know the songs and hum, or sing along with us, and I'm hoping that they feel that way, too."

A slew of talented actresses have portrayed Dolly, including Barbra Streisand, Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey and Mary Martin. "They're very, very big shoes to fill … There's no doubt about that," Scarpa says. "And so, listening to the different ways that they have stylized their vocals has helped me find my own voice. I think the one that I can relate to most, the one that resonates with me, is the Mary Martin recording from the London West End production."

Scarpa's mother, who is also a performer, influenced her interpretation of the role, as well. "She never played this role but I can really imagine her being this role and so I have also tried to take from the way my mother moves and sings and speaks on stage so I can start developing my own thing."

She thinks "Hello, Dolly!" will appeal to a broad audience because it's a great story.

"What I think is really special about this story is that there's definitely a lot of comedy and a lot of wonderful dance numbers and things like that but, really, at the heart of the show is a woman trying to start fresh and get a new start at life and kind of get back out there and be around people and enjoy her life and her adult years.

"And I think that's a great message, especially for our audiences here in Allentown, and I hope that they have a wonderful time watching the show, but also that they find something that touches them. I think this musical has a lot of both. It can really inspire but also can make people laugh and have a wonderful time."

Tickets: Muhlenberg College box office, Trexler Pavilion for Theater and Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown; muhlenberg. edu/SMT; 484-664-3333.