Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
The production will be held for four weeks starting on July 18 at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
“Dolly: An Original Musical” is preparing for its Nashville debut. The new stage production, which chronicles the life of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton, will start with a four-week limited run in the Tennessee city before heading to Broadway in 2026.
The musical will be presented at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, beginning with a preview performance on July 18. The official opening is set for August 8, and the show will continue until August 17, as outlined in an official announcement.
The release notes that Dolly Parton’s career is “nothing short of extraordinary,” mentioning her impressive achievements, including writing over 3,000 songs and scoring 25 No. 1 hits. The release also asks, “But how did this ‘Backwoods Barbie’ rise to become a Living Legend?”
At a press conference on January 28 announcing the musical’s Nashville debut, Dolly Parton, 70, shared her excitement about bringing her life story to the stage. Speaking at the Fisher Center, Parton explained, “I’ve always wanted to do my life story as a musical.” She emphasized that she wanted to be involved in the process, saying, “I wanted to see it done while I’m still around, to be able to oversee it and make sure it’s done properly, rather than waiting until I’m gone and letting someone else decide how it should be done.”
Parton also revealed that the musical will feature many familiar songs along with “a whole lot of original songs,” incorporating classic country instruments like the mandolin and fiddle. “I think they’ll appreciate me taking Nashville to New York with all those country sounds,” she said. “And when I had the chance to do something bigger and broader, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get to have an orchestra — that’s gonna be great if I can have strings on this and that.’ It was exciting and fun for me to write the new stuff.”
A Broadway production based on Dolly Parton’s life story has been a longtime dream for the country legend, as she shared with PEOPLE in January 2024. “Right now, I’m working on my life story as a musical, and so going on Broadway and opening my show on Broadway, that’s been a biggie in my mind for many, many years,” Parton explained. “That’d be the one that I want to make certain I get done while I’m still kicking, while I’m around to stay involved in it.”
While casting details have yet to be revealed, Variety reports that three actors will portray Parton at different stages of her life in the show. During the press conference, Parton humorously remarked, “I wish I had three of me a lot of times, the way I work.”