Get the Scoop on Dolly Parton's New Broadway Musical
Dolly Parton
Broadway will soon be saying “Hello, Dolly!” As in Dolly Parton. The country music superstar revealed the most definitive news yet about her plan to showcase her life story on the Great White Way.
In Dolly Parton: From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll, the music legend spoke with ABC News' Robin Roberts about her genre-crossing rock album and what other projects the 77-year-old has on her horizon.
"I am working on my life story on Broadway," Parton said in the special. "I'm hoping to be on Broadway in the spring of '25. I tried to do that years ago, and just before COVID. You know, I had it almost ready to go. And then COVID hit and then Broadway kind of shut down.”
Parton has been collaborating with producer Maria Schlatter to make a musical out of her extraordinary life. From her humble beginnings as one of 12 children growing up the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to becoming a singing and songwriting sensation with the most No. 1 hits by a female artist on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. Then there's her acting career, her success as an entrepreneur and her unstoppable work as a philanthropist.
Parton she has written or selected all the music and co-written the show’s script (also called a book or libretto). “So all my spare time, I’m spending on that. That’s been a dream of mine for years and years—at least 20 years I’ve been trying to put that together,” Parton told USA Today back in October.
Related: 'Big Hair, Don't Care!' 17 Truly Amazing Dolly Parton Throwback Photos
In her newest special with Robin Roberts, Parton reveled that they figured out how to tell the story of her life. "We found a clever way to do it, where it just touches on my past and the present, but the Porter Wagoner days and my childhood days, and my early days,” she shared. “And even trying to find the ways to get all the other stuff through characters and songs.”
In fact, on Oct. 28, Broadway star Kerry Butler (Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, Xanadu, Little Shop of Horrors, Rock of Ages) posted a photo of herself with Parton on Instagram. Butler shared that she participated in a private reading of the musical with Butler playing Parton.
“I had the immense honor of playing Dolly Parton in the musical reading of her life! My friend @mariasschlatter asked me if I would be in a private reading for Dolly!,” wrote Butler.
“At first I doubted that I could do it, she is so specific. But I followed my own advice and said yes, and did a deep dive into all things Dolly! Her music is obviously incredible, but beyond that she is such an amazing person. The things she has accomplished on and off stage- many things you don’t even hear about! What a role model!!!”
Parton was last represented on Broadway in the musical 9 to 5 in 2009. "It tells a good story," Parton said about the new musical. "I think people are gonna enjoy the way we've done it.”
Here’s what we know so far about the Dolly Parton musical coming to Broadway.
What is the name of Dolly Parton's new musical based on her life?
As of press time, the name of Dolly Parton’s new musical based on her life has not been revealed. The process for getting a musical to the Broadway stage takes many years and titles change all the time. The show’s writers, which includes Parton herself, may still be working on a title.
Related: Dolly Parton’s Net Worth In 2023 Is Fit for a Country Queen
What is the premiere date for the new Dolly Parton musical?
In her special, Dolly Parton: From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll, Parton told Robin Roberts that the musical was planned to be on Broadway by the spring of 2025, but of course all that could change.
What has Dolly Parton said about her new Broadway musical?
In October, 2023, in a story with USA Today, Parton opened up about her upcoming Broadway musical. "I’m working on my life story as a musical on Broadway,” shared Parton. “I’ve written or chosen all the music that will go into it, and I’ve co-written the script too. So all my spare time, I’m spending on that. That’s been a dream of mine for years and years—at least 20 years I’ve been trying to put that together. I was just about to have it ready when COVID hit and Broadway shut down.”
During the pandemic, Parton had second thoughts. "I thought, 'Well, maybe I’ll do it as a biopic, and wrote up a script for that," she added. "But then I was like, ‘Nah, everybody’s doing a biopic! I’m going back to Broadway now that it’s open.' So I’m hoping to have my show (there) in spring of 2025. That’s my aim!"
Speaking to Robin Roberts during her From Rhinestones to Rock & Roll special, Parton shared that the musical tells "a big story." Parton added, "We found a clever way to do it, where it just touches on my past and the present, but the Porter Wagoner days and my childhood days, and my early days. And even trying to find the ways to get all the other stuff through characters and songs.”
Who wrote the songs and music for Dolly Parton's Broadway musical?
Dolly Parton wrote the songs and music for the upcoming Dolly Parton Broadway musical. And she chose all the music she did not write.
Related: Dolly Parton Shares the Heartwarming Stories Behind 10 of Her Favorite Songs
Will Dolly Parton's Broadway musical share the same story as the TV movie Coat of Many Colors?
In December 2015, Coat of Many Colors, the TV movie inspired by Parton’s song about her childhood, had an audience of more than 13 million when it aired on NBC. In a 2016 interview with Variety, Parton talked about how the Broadway musical would touch on that story.
“The whole first act is my early days before I went to Nashville. The second act is about my days in Nashville and beyond,” said Parton. "So the first part of the musical will be a lot like Coat of Many Colors with music and songs and will involve more details. I thought it would be a good boost and kickoff for [the musical] and a good promotional tool.”
However, Parton hasn’t talked much about the musical since then. And the entire story could have changed. We'll just have to wait and see!
