Frankie Grande, of Broadway, television and social media fame, stars in the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre (MSMT) production of the classic Broadway musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” July 11 - July 29, Baker Theater, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance, Muhlenberg College, Allentown.

“I wanted to study biology and theater and dance and that was impossible at every other college,” says Grande, a Muhlenberg College graduate, Class of 2005, who triple-majored in biology, theater and dance.

Grande, who starred as Franz in “Rock of Ages” in 2014 and was in the ensemble of “Mamma Mia!” in 2007 on Broadway, is overjoyed to be returning to his Muhlenberg roots this summer.

“I’m grateful for this break from New York City life,” Grande says. “Coming back to Muhlenberg and revisiting my old professors like Karen Dearborn and Charlie Richter is like getting together with old friends.”

Grande was last seen at Muhlenberg in the 2013 MSMT production of “Crazy for You.”

“Frankie is an extraordinary comic with an incredible voice and dance ability,” says Richter, who’s directing “How To Succeed.” “We’re having a great time making this play come to life in a dynamic, entertaining, and hysterically-funny way.”

Grande plays J. Pierrepont Finch in “How To Succeed.” Finch who, with the help of the book, “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying,” rises from window-washer to chairman of the board of the World Wide Wicket Company, with plenty of dancing and singing along the way.

Muhlenberg dance program director and founder Karen Dearborn choreographs the production, which features music direction by Bryan L. Wade, scenic design by John Raley, costume design by Hunter Kaczorowski, and lighting design by Gertjan Houben.

The Muhlenberg production adds even more dance to the musical. “We are doing something very different,” says Grande. “We’ve added dance to every number.”

Despite just a “musical staging” credit, the legendary Bob Fosse choreographed much of the original production’s dance numbers.

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” with music by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, is based on Shepherd Mead’s 1952 book of the same title.

The original Broadway musical, starring Robert Morse as Finch, opened in 1961, receiving seven Tony Awards and the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A movie musical version was released in 1967.

A 1995 Broadway revival starred Matthew Broderick as Finch. A 2011 Broadway revival starred Daniel Radcliffe as Finch.

“He succeeds in spite of the fact that he has no experience or qualifications,” Richter says of Finch. “That sort of gives us a retro look at what corporate culture was like.

“Frank Loesser wrote the incredible score,” Richter says. “His first big success was ‘Guys and Dolls,’ which celebrated the American dream: three kids, a nice house, a good job.

“‘How to Succeed’ is much more ironic about it. It’s sort of prescient. It was written at the beginning of the 1960s, and, by the end of the ’60s, that whole value system had already started to deteriorate,” says Richter.

“It’s a modern musical with classic songs,” says Grande. “The show is still so relevant. Nothing has changed. People are still blinded by trying to get ahead, especially in the current political environment. ‘How to Succeed’ is about finding the balance between humanity and business.

“I think Finch is so amazingly complicated. He walks this line that’s very fun to play. I’m having a blast discovering who this character is,” says Grande, who was on the reality TV series “Big Brother” and was a judge on TV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

Grande, born Frank James Michael Grande Marchione in 1983 in Englewood, N.J., is the older brother of pop star Ariana Grande.

Grande has produced shows on and off-Broadway, including Broadway productions of “Hamlet” (2009), starring Jude Law, “La Bête” (2010–2011), starring David Hyde Pierce, and “Born Yesterday” (2011), starring Jim Belushi. Grande also produced Brooke Shields’ one-woman cabaret show in 2011. Grande has performed in cabaret acts at Birdland Jazz Club and 54 Below in New York City.

In 2015, Billboard included Grande in its list of “32 of the top social media stars on the Internet today.” As of January 2018, Grande’s social media presence included more than 400,000 YouTube subscribers and 25 million views on YouTube, more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 1.1 million followers on Twitter.

In 2007, Grande co-founded the non-profit arts organization, Broadway in South Africa, traveling to South Africa to teach performance arts to disadvantaged youth for seven years, before the charity merged with buildOn in 2013.

Several other Muhlenberg College alumni have made the trip back to their alma mater to be part of the “How To Succeed” production, including Aran Abilock Clemmons, Class of 2017; Meredith Kate Doyle, Class of 2016; Zach Love, Class of 2016, and Samantha Simon, Class of 2015. Also joining the cast is MSMT mainstay Neil Hever, Class of 1982, a veteran of the first-ever MSMT production, and many since.

“The cast is a wonderful mix of Muhlenberg students, alums, and celebrated regional actors,” Richter says.

Doyle, who plays Finch’s love interest and secretary Rosemary Pilkington, played Eliza Doolittle in MSMT’s 2017 production of “My Fair Lady.”

“This ensemble is absolutely incredible,” says Grande. “It is one of the strongest casts I’ve ever seen at Muhlenberg. It’s beautiful to see. People are going to be blown away by this production.”

“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 11- 29. An accessible performance is 2 p.m. July 15, featuring open caption for hearing-impaired patrons, and audio description for visually-impaired patrons. Tickets: Trexler Pavilion for Theatre and Dance box office, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown; muhlenberg.edu/smt; 484-664-3333