Picture: RCA Records/Wikimedia Commons
As the world mourns the loss of the legendary Queen of Country Dolly Parton, fans are taking some solace from the news that the Broadway debut of her Dolly: A True Original Musical will go ahead as she had planned.
Tracing the remarkable life story of a remarkable woman, the musical which features many of Parton’s most famous songs and new material, along with a book by the singer and Maria S Schlatter, is due to begin previews at the St James Theatre in New York on 7 December 2026.
Directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Mandy Moore, the musical which debuted in Nashville last year will now celebrate its bittersweet Broadway opening night on what would have been the superstar singer’s 81st birthday on 19 January 2027.
When the Broadway premiere was announced, Sher said: “During our world premiere in Nashville, I was overwhelmed by the deep connection audiences have with Dolly. You mention her name and people light up and share a time that she has inspired them and brought them joy. But despite all of that genuine love, Dolly has never really shared her story before. 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.”
As news of the music icon’s death following a short battle with cancer began to sink in, stars and fans from across the world mourned the loss of a woman whose story, music and philanthropy touched so many lives.
Those paying tribute to Parton included Taylor Swift who noted that: ‘Because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one.” One of her movie co-stars, Hollywood great James Woods, simply posted ‘Heaven has found its voice. Rest in His arms, angel”, accompanied by a shot of the pair dancing together in a scene from the cult romantic comedy Straight Talk.
The cast of the current UK tour of 9 to 5 The Musical dedicated its performance to the superstar, with performer Karla Tracey taking to the stage to announce the singer-songwriter’s passing.
The musical’s original Broadway star, Megan Hilty, posted her own tribute on Instagram. Alongside a photograph of the pair together Hilty wrote: “She made more of an impact on me than I can express in an Instagram post and this deep and profound loss will take quite some time to process. I am so grateful to have been in her orbit and we are all so lucky this actual angel walked among us.”
Angela Thomas
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