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Broadway will be saying “Hello, Dolly” before the end of the year, as the musical telling the life story of country-pop superstar Dolly Parton is set to begin previews at the St. James Theatre on Dec. 7, to be followed
by an official opening night on her 81st birthday, Jan. 19, 2027.
“Dolly: A True Original Musical” is the slightly amended new title for the show that had its world premiere in Nashville in the summer of 2025 as “Dolly: An Original Musical.” It makes its way to New York with much the same creative team intact, including music by Parton (with some new songs joining familiar chestnuts from her catalog), a book by Parton and Maria S. Schlatter, and Tony winner Bartlett Scher in the director’s chair. Choreographer Mandy Moore is also continuing on from the Nashville run. The producers are Parton, Danny Nozell, Adam Speers for ATG Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.
A ticketing pre-sale for Capital One cardholders begins Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET, to be followed by a general on-sale Friday at 10 a.m. Producers are planning on a healthy run for the production, with tickets initially being available for nearly a year’s worth of shows, from Dec. 7 of this year through Nov. 21, 2027.
“Dolly” will be Parton’s second Broadway production, with this one being a long time in coming following “9 to 5: The Musical,” an adaptation of the hit movie which opened in New York in 2009 and, after a six-month run, went on to have a run on the West End and U.S. and U.K. tours.
“My whole life has been a musical. A grand ole opera really,” Parton said in a statement. “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 music team includes Stephen Oremus (“Wicked”) as music supervisor, Charity Wicks as music director, John Clancy doing orchestrations and Kent Wells as musical consultant. The music team is rounded out by two longtime Parton collaborators, Richard Dennison and Gregg Perry sharing music arrangements and vocal arrangements.
Others on the creative team include scenic designer Derek McLane, costume designer Jennifer Moeller, lighting designer Donald Holder, sound designer Peter Hylenski, video designers Nathan Amzi and Joe Ransom, hair designer Robert Pickens, makeup design from Studio Pickens, production stage manager Michael J. Passaro, and Jim Carnahan and Carrie Gardner as casting directors.
No casting has been announced for the show. In Nashville, three actresses, Katie Rose Clarke, Carrie St. Louis and Quinn Titcomb, played Parton at different points in her life.
Said Sher, the director, in a statement, “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.”
Adam Speers of ATG Productions said, “Having worked with Dolly on both the new version of ‘9 to 5’ in the West End and on ‘Dolly,’ I can say without hesitation that being in her orbit changes how you think about what one person can give to the world. What defines her is not only extraordinary talent, but a lifetime of conscious choices – to lead with kindness, to contribute meaningfully, and to give back in ways that have endured, all with inimitable style and great humor. After everything we learned during our world-premiere in Nashville, we’re shaping the show and deepening the storytelling so that the Broadway production fully captures the spirit of this amazing woman. To be opening the show on Dolly’s 81st birthday is not only a celebration of a milestone, but of a life shaped by generosity, courage, and purpose that, in this moment, feels not only uplifting and inspiring, but essential.”
The Broadway show will be the closest fans can come to seeing her perform in the flesh any time soon, as the singer announced in May that she was canceling a residency planned for Las Vegas, due to ongoing health issues. She said at the time she has been “responding really well to meds and treatments” and “improving every day,” although the treatments make her “a little swimmy headed. And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels — and you know that I’m going to be wearing them.”
But there are other chances for Parton followers to celebrate her music live, prior to the Broadway run, in the form of “Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony,” a tour that has guest singers interpreting Parton’s material. The show is currently having an extended run at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center that began June 16 and runs through July 31, with stops set for later in the year in Spokane, Houston and Milwaukee.
