Dolly Parton’s team is continuing to fulfill one of her lifelong dreams, just like she wanted.
The country icon sadly passed away at 80-years-old in Nashville Tennessee on August 25, 2026. Dolly had been dealing with undisclosed health issues for the last year or so, and she previously shared that she was having issues with severe kidney stones. Dolly’s reps confirmed she sadly died following a “brief battle with cancer,” though the specific kind was not revealed.
Of course, the country icon has won countless awards, scored chart-topping hits, and has done everything and more she could’ve ever hoped or dreamed to accomplish, and her career is nothing short of extraordinary.
And her life story is set to be featured as a major production on Broadway in New York City, as “DOLLY: A True Original Musical,” is officially set to debut on what would have been her 81st birthday, January 19th, 2027.
Dolly produced it alongside Danny Nozell, Adam Speers for ATG Productions, and Gavin Kalin Productions, and she says her “whole life has been a musical,” which made putting together this production an easy fit:
“My whole life has been a musical. A grand ole opera really! 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!”
The new musical will only play New York’s St. James Theatre. The music of course features many of Dolly’ original hits, and a few new ones she wrote specifically for the musical.
Director Bartlett Sher says he was “overwhelmed” during their world premiere in Nashville, and knows how special this will be for fans:
“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. 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.”
Dolly’s musical is told through her own words in songs, from the Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee to superstardom, and beloved hits like “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5” will be part of the lineup.
It’s something that she was working very, very hard on for a long time, all the way until she passed, and it was just announced that the cast of the musical will include Katie Rose Clarke as Dolly Parton, Carrie St. Louis as Dolly at another stage in life, and Norah Nunes as Little Dolly.
During Variety’s “Business of Broadway” event recently, lead producer Adam Speers revealed the last conversation he had with Dolly, which took place about 10 days before she passed.
According to USA TODAY, Speers said Dolly was very open about what she wanted if she didn’t make to see the musical through, telling them they had to keep going because “this is the show that I want to be on Broadway”:
“The last conversation that Bart and I had with her, which was about 10 days before she passed. She was very open with us both: ‘You’ve got to keep going! This is the show that I want to be on Broadway!'”
Speers also said that he, along with musical co-writer Maria S. Schlatter, spoke to Dolly often in the last several months to make sure everything was just right for the musical.
And Carrie St. Louis also opened up about working with Dolly, saying she “very, very involved” with everything, and explained how present and kind Dolly was to everyone:
“She was the first person in the building in the morning and the last person to leave. On every break, you’d think she might go out and, I don’t know, attend to the 100 million other things that she was doing, but no.
She would walk around the room and speak to every actor that was there, one-on-one. If people were playing the guitar, she’d start jamming and singing with them.”
I’m not surprised to hear that at all…
One of the new songs Dolly wrote for the musical is called “Mountain Girl,” which Sher said was just part of her every day routine:
“She wrote a song every morning when she prayed. She had a whole system where she would take them to her team, and they’d record them right there, or she’d call them up and say, ‘Meet me at the studio,’ and they’d go right in and record them.”
Katie Rose Clarke recalled once messing up the lyrics to “Jolene” in front of Dolly, and of course, she was as graceful as always, telling her it was not a problem at all and she was “doing great”:
“I don’t think I ever really stopped being nervous to sing in front of her.”
We all know the world is a lesser place without her in it, but to know that Dolly was so involved in this musical and that it was a lifelong dream of hers just makes it all the more exciting. Even though she’s not here to see it finally debut on Broadway, her legacy is living on and I have no doubt it will be a huge hit.
