About ten days before Dolly Parton died, the country music legend had a conversation with two people helping bring an extraordinary project to Broadway. It was a musical about Dolly Parton’s own life, filled with familiar songs, private memories, and new music written especially for the stage.
Producer Adam Speers and director Bartlett Sher had spent months working with Dolly Parton on the production. During that conversation in August 2026, Dolly Parton made one thing unmistakably clear.
“You’ve got to keep going! This is the show that I want to be on Broadway!”
Those words were not made public until October 5, when Speers shared the memory at Variety’s Business of Broadway event in New York City.
By then, Dolly Parton had been gone for more than a month. But the musical was moving forward, just as Dolly Parton had wanted.
More Than a Musical With Dolly Parton’s Name
The production, titled DOLLY: A True Original Musical, was never intended to be a simple collection of familiar hits.
Dolly Parton helped create the story alongside Emmy-winning writer Maria S. Schlatter. The musical follows a young girl growing up in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains, finding a place in Nashville, and eventually becoming one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world.
The project had already received its world premiere at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville in 2025. It became the venue’s most successful production.
But those involved remembered something more personal than ticket sales.
Carrie St. Louis, one of the actresses portraying Dolly Parton, recalled how involved the singer had been during rehearsals. Dolly Parton often arrived before everyone else and stayed until the work was finished.
During breaks, Dolly Parton didn’t simply disappear into a private room. Instead, Dolly Parton spent time talking individually with actors. When someone began playing a guitar, Dolly Parton sometimes joined the music.
For performers portraying a living legend, those ordinary moments became an unusual opportunity to learn directly from the person whose life they were bringing to the stage.
The Private Life Dolly Parton Wanted Audiences to See
One of the most interesting parts of the project is the attention given to Dolly Parton’s life away from the spotlight.
Although millions knew the glittering costumes, familiar laughter, and unforgettable songs, Dolly Parton kept much of the nearly 60-year marriage to Carl Dean private.
The Broadway musical explores parts of that relationship, along with the professional partnership with Porter Wagoner that helped introduce Dolly Parton to a national television audience.
Dolly Parton personally selected five leading performers for the Broadway production, including Katie Rose Clarke, Carrie St. Louis, and young Norah Nunes to represent different stages of Dolly Parton’s life.
John Behlmann was chosen to portray Carl Dean, while Gabriel Ebert would portray Porter Wagoner.
These casting decisions were another indication of how carefully Dolly Parton wanted the story told.
There Was Still New Music to Share
Perhaps the most revealing detail came from director Bartlett Sher, who described Dolly Parton’s remarkable songwriting habits.
According to Sher, Dolly Parton regularly wrote songs during morning prayer, then worked with musicians to record the ideas.
Even after decades of songwriting, the creative work continued.
One of the new songs included in the musical is called Mountain Girl. The production also features beloved recordings such as Jolene, Coat of Many Colors, I Will Always Love You, and 9 to 5.
For longtime fans, the combination offers something unusual: familiar songs alongside material created specifically to tell Dolly Parton’s own story.
An Opening Night Dolly Parton Will Never See
Dolly Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80.
Afterward, the production team confirmed that the Broadway musical would continue according to the existing plans.
Preview performances are scheduled to begin December 7, 2026, at New York City’s St. James Theatre.
The official opening night is scheduled for January 19, 2027.
That date carries particular meaning. January 19 would have been Dolly Parton’s 81st birthday.
There is another continuation of Dolly Parton’s commitment to young people. The production has announced plans to make 30,000 free theater tickets available to New York City public school students during its first Broadway year.
The Broadway show will introduce another generation to the songs, struggles, humor, and determination that shaped Dolly Parton’s life.
Adam Speers did not claim to know Dolly Parton’s final words to the world. The producer was remembering the last conversation shared with Dolly Parton and Bartlett Sher.
But that conversation left an unmistakable instruction for the people responsible for the musical.
Dolly Parton wanted the story to reach Broadway.
And on the birthday Dolly Parton will never celebrate, that long-held ambition is scheduled to become a reality.