Dolly Parton’s Musical About Her Life to Premiere in Nashville Before Broadway in 2026
Dolly Parton is set to bring her life story to the stage in Dolly: An Original Musical, a production that will make its debut in Nashville before heading to Broadway in 2026. The musical, based on the legendary country music icon’s extraordinary career, will run for a limited four-week engagement beginning July 18, 2025 at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
The opening night is set for August 8, with performances running through August 17. The show is expected to offer an intimate glimpse into Parton’s rise to fame and her journey to becoming one of the most iconic figures in music history. The musical is set to explore how the small-town girl from Sevier County, Tennessee, became the global superstar known for her 3,000+ songs, 25 No. 1 hits, and her philanthropic contributions.
In a press conference announcing the Nashville debut, Dolly Parton, 70, expressed her excitement for the project. She revealed that she has long dreamt of seeing her life story told through a musical, saying, “I always wanted to do my life story as a musical. I wanted to see it done while I’m still around, to be able to oversee it and make sure that it’s done properly in a way that I would want to see it, rather than to wait till I’m gone and let somebody else decide how they think it should be done.”
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Parton shared that the musical will feature a mix of songs familiar to her fans, as well as a variety of new, original pieces. “There are a lot of original songs, and we’re going to have a lot of the country instruments, like mandolin and fiddle,” Parton said. “I think they’ll appreciate me taking Nashville to New York with all those country sounds.” The inclusion of an orchestra was particularly exciting for her: “When I had a 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.”
The musical will offer a unique opportunity for audiences to experience Dolly’s story from multiple perspectives. Three different actors are set to portray Parton at different stages of her life, providing a multi-faceted look at her personal and professional evolution. Parton herself joked, “I wish I had three of me a lot of times, the way I work.”
For the first time, the world will see Dolly’s story come to life on stage, but the Broadway production has long been a dream for the country legend. “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,” she told PEOPLE in January 2024. “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 the casting details are still under wraps, fans are eagerly awaiting the chance to witness the legendary Parton story unfold on stage. Tickets for the Nashville premiere of Dolly: An Original Musical are now available at dollymusical.com.
This production marks a new chapter in Dolly Parton’s illustrious career. With her music, charm, and entrepreneurial spirit, Dolly has always been a storyteller, and now she will bring her own life story to the stage, thrilling her fans and introducing a new generation to her incredible journey.