Dolly Parton Musical Sets Broadway Debut

After a successful Nashville preview, Dolly Parton is bringing her life story to Broadway. The country icon announced that DOLLY: A True Original Musical will begin preview performances Dec. 7 at New York City’s St. James Theatre, with opening night scheduled for Jan. 19, 2027 — Parton’s 81st birthday.

The production, which had its world premiere in Music City in summer 2025, features a book by Parton and two-time Emmy winner Maria S. Schlatter, with Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher at the helm. Alongside classics including “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5,” the musical will feature new songs Parton wrote specifically for the production.

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“My whole life has been a musical,” Parton says. “A grand ole opera really and I can’t wait to present it to you on Broadway. I hope you enjoy watching as much as I’ve enjoyed livin’ it.”

Sher said the Nashville production reinforced just how deeply audiences connect with Parton, but suggested the Broadway version will reveal a more personal side of the singer/songwriter. “Dolly has never really shared her story before,” he says. “She’s offered glimpses and peeks, but this musical allows her to reveal the unfiltered story in her own words. As we prepare to come to Broadway, we’re thrilled to show that rhinestones were never her whole story.”

According to the production, DOLLY: A True Original Musical traces Parton’s journey from the Smoky Mountains to international stardom through the songs that defined her career. Producers said the Broadway staging has been further developed following the sold-out Nashville engagement, which became the most successful production in the history of Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

“After everything we learned during our world premiere in Nashville, we’re shaping the show and deepening the storytelling so that the Broadway production fully captures the spirit of this amazing woman,” says ATG Productions’ Adam Speers. “To be opening the show on Dolly’s 81st birthday is not only a celebration of a milestone, but of a life shaped by generosity, courage and purpose that, in this moment, feels not only uplifting and inspiring, but essential.”

Pre-sale tickets will be available tomorrow (July 8) for fans who register through the show’s web site and eligible Capital One cardholders, with general ticket sales opening July 10. Additional casting announcements and creative team details are expected in the coming weeks.

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