Dolly Parton’s Life Story to Hit Broadway in 2026 with New Musical “Hello, I’m Dolly”
NEW YORK (AP) — Country music icon Dolly Parton is preparing to make her Broadway debut—not as a performer, but as the creative force behind a new musical based on her own life. Titled “Hello, I’m Dolly”, the stage production is slated for a 2026 premiere and will combine newly written songs with many of her greatest hits.
“This show is very near and dear to my heart,” Parton said in a statement. “I’ve written many original songs for the show and included all your favorites in it as well. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp — it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera. Pun and fun intended.”
The musical will be co-written by Parton and Maria S. Schlatter, who previously collaborated with her on Netflix’s “Christmas on the Square” and earned an Emmy for her work. The title is drawn from Parton’s 1967 debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, which featured early hits like “Dumb Blonde” and “Something Fishy.”
The musical aims to trace Parton’s extraordinary rise from her humble roots in rural Tennessee to becoming a global music and entertainment icon. Her life story is rich with material: from starring in hit films and earning 11 Grammy Awards (with 52 total nominations, second only to Beyoncé among women), to launching philanthropic ventures like the Imagination Library and donating $1 million to COVID-19 research.
The show is expected to draw from her deep well of beloved music, including crossover hits such as “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Here You Come Again,” and country chart-toppers like “Tennessee Homesick Blues,” “Yellow Roses,” and “Think About Love.”
While this marks her first biographical musical, it won’t be Parton’s first brush with Broadway. In 2009, she wrote the score for the stage adaptation of 9 to 5, which received multiple Tony nominations and featured standout performances by Stephanie J. Block and Allison Janney.
“Hello, I’m Dolly” joins a growing list of jukebox musicals on Broadway that celebrate the lives and careers of music legends, following in the footsteps of productions about Carole King, Neil Diamond, Alicia Keys, Michael Jackson, and Gloria Estefan.
The project will be produced by Parton herself alongside Adam Speers for ATG Productions and Danny Nozell for CTK Enterprises. The creative team and casting details are expected to be announced closer to the premiere.
With its blend of personal storytelling, humor, and chart-topping hits, Hello, I’m Dolly promises to be a dazzling new chapter in Parton’s already storied legacy—and a likely box-office hit for Broadway.
As Parton once said of her career: “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” In 2026, theatergoers can expect both the storms and sunshine of her remarkable journey—set to music only Dolly could write.