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Dolly Parton musical to open on Broadway on her birthday
8 July 2026, 11:18
Dolly: A True Original Musical premiered in Nashville last year.
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Dolly Parton has announced a musical about her life is coming to Broadway.
Following its Nashville premiere last year, Dolly: A True Original Musical is making the leap to New York to delight fans with her inspiring story.
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The musical – which features Dolly’s signature hits including ‘Jolene’, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’ alongside new songs she has composed especially for the show – will begin previews at New York’s St James Theatre on 7 December.
It will then open on January 19, the singer’s 81st birthday.
Celebrating the news, Dolly said in a press release that the show opening on Broadway is “a dream come true”.
“My whole life has been a musical. A grand ole opera really!” she joked.
“We have a wonderful director, sets, costumes, choreography, music and all the things you need to make a wonderful, entertaining show! Can’t wait to see you there!”
In a video shared to social media, Dolly shared that the musical is “true in every sense of the word.”
“This isn’t a story about sparkle and shine on the outside,” she added.
“It’s about where I really come from: where I’ve lived, what I’ve lost, what I’ve loved and how I’ve found my way and told it in my own words, and through the music that’s been part of me every step of the journey.”
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The show’s director Bartlett Sher celebrated how fans connected to the musical during its first showings at Nashville’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
“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,” he said in today’s press release.
“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,” the director concluded.
Tickets for Dolly: A True Original Musical’s Broadway dates will go on sale on Friday, July 10. Fans can sign up for a presale which goes live later today (July 8) here.
