Dolly Parton’s Broadway biomusical, “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” will begin previews December 7 at the St. James Theatre and open January 19, 2027, as originally planned, producers confirmed within hours of the country music icon’s death on August 25, 2026. Parton died peacefully in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
Key Takeaways
- Producers confirmed the Broadway timeline will hold, stating the December 7 opening at the St. James Theatre reflects “Dolly’s wish.”
- The January 19, 2027, official opening night falls on what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.
- Director Bartlett Sher, a Tony Award winner, will bring the production to Broadway in Parton’s honor after working alongside her for the past two years.
- The musical drew nearly 78,000 attendees across 49 performances during its sold-out Nashville tryout at Belmont University’s Fisher Center in summer 2025.
- Parton wrote the score, including new original songs and career-defining catalog tracks, and co-wrote the book with Emmy Award winner Maria S. Schlatter.
- Broadway casting for the New York production has not yet been announced.
Producers Move Forward With Parton’s Final Creative Vision
The decision to hold the production timeline came directly from Parton’s own wishes. In a statement shared with press, producers Danny Nozell, Adam Speers of ATG Productions, and Gavin Kalin Productions said the Broadway run would proceed as scheduled because that was what Parton wanted. The statement made clear that Parton had been actively involved in shaping the show for its New York transfer at the time of her death.
Director Bartlett Sher, who previously won a Tony Award for his work on “The Light in the Piazza” and has directed multiple productions at Lincoln Center Theater, memorialized Parton alongside the Nashville cast. Sher described Parton as “the most important and wonderful and gifted collaborator and friend of my life.” He will oversee the Broadway production through its opening, carrying forward the creative decisions Parton made during the Nashville workshop and the retooling that followed.
The show takes over the St. James Theatre after “Titanique,” which is currently scheduled to close in September. The St. James, located at 246 West 44th Street, has hosted productions since 1927 and remains one of the Theater District’s flagship venues.
Nashville Tryout Drew Nearly 78,000 Attendees and Shaped the Broadway Transfer
The road to Broadway began at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, where the musical premiered under its original title, “Dolly: An Original Musical,” in July 2025. The run opened with sold-out previews on July 18 and an official opening night on August 8. Demand forced producers to add 16 performances and extend the engagement through August 31, ultimately drawing more than 77,900 attendees across 49 shows.
Three actors portrayed Parton at different stages of her life during the Nashville production. Katie Rose Clarke played Parton during her Nashville rise, Carrie St. Louis took on the role during the peak of her crossover career, and Quinn Titcomb played Parton as a child growing up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. The supporting cast included John Behlmann as Carl Dean, Parton’s husband of 58 years who died in March 2025; John Zdrojeski as country music host Porter Wagoner; and Beth Malone as Judy Ogle, Parton’s lifelong friend and longtime assistant.
Broadway casting has not been announced. Producers have said the New York production will include refinements from the Nashville run, with Speers noting earlier this year that the team was “shaping the show and deepening the storytelling so that the Broadway production fully captures the spirit of this amazing woman.”
A Score Built From Seven Decades of Songwriting
The musical’s score mixes Parton’s catalog tracks with new songs she wrote specifically for the stage. Audiences in Nashville heard “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5” woven into a narrative that traces Parton’s life from a one-bedroom cabin in Sevier County, Tennessee, through her professional partnership with Porter Wagoner on his nationally syndicated television show, her decision to pursue a solo career, and her crossover into pop stardom and Hollywood.
The book, co-written by Parton and Maria S. Schlatter, follows that arc across two acts. The first focuses on Parton’s childhood and early years in Nashville. The second covers her adult career and the tensions between commercial success and creative independence, particularly as a woman navigating the male-dominated country music industry of the 1970s and 1980s. Schlatter previously won an Emmy for producing Parton’s 2020 Netflix holiday film, “Christmas on the Square.” Emmy Award winner Mandy Moore choreographed the Nashville production.
Parton had worked on some version of a Broadway project based on her life for nearly a decade. She told Variety as early as 2016 that she had already spent a year developing a stage show rooted in her childhood. Her only previous Broadway credit was the Tony-nominated score for “9 to 5: The Musical,” which ran at the Marquis Theatre in 2009.
Parton’s Career and Philanthropy Leave a Footprint Across New York
Parton’s connection to New York extended well beyond the Theater District. Over a seven-decade career, Parton sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, earned 11 Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and held the distinction of being named Billboard’s all-time No. 1 country artist. She wrote more than 3,000 songs across her career, many of which became part of the fabric of American popular music.
Her philanthropic footprint also touched New York directly. The Imagination Library, the early childhood literacy program Parton founded in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who never learned to read, has distributed more than 332 million free books to children across five countries. The program mails one age-appropriate book per month to enrolled children from birth until they begin kindergarten at age five. New York City participates through local affiliate partnerships, and the program operates in communities across the state.
Parton’s family has requested that donations be directed to the Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com.
What Comes Next for the St. James Theatre Production
With previews set for December 7 and opening night on January 19, 2027, the production team faces approximately three months to finalize Broadway casting, complete the creative adjustments Parton and Sher were developing, and prepare the St. James Theatre for technical rehearsals. The title was slightly amended from its Nashville version to “Dolly: A True Original Musical” when the Broadway transfer was announced in July 2026.
The show enters a crowded fall and winter Broadway season that includes several high-profile openings. For the Theater District, a production that now carries the weight of tribute alongside entertainment represents a significant draw heading into the holiday season and the early months of 2027. Tickets for the Broadway run are available through dollymusical.com.
FAQs
When Does Dolly: A True Original Musical Begin on Broadway?
Previews begin December 7, 2026, at the St. James Theatre, with an official opening night set for January 19, 2027.
Who Is Directing the Broadway Production?
Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, who directed the Nashville world premiere at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in summer 2025, will direct the Broadway production.
Has Broadway Casting Been Announced?
Broadway casting has not yet been revealed. The Nashville production featured Katie Rose Clarke, Carrie St. Louis, and Quinn Titcomb portraying Dolly Parton at three stages of her life.
Where Can Tickets Be Purchased?
Tickets are available at dollymusical.com and through the St. James Theatre box office at 246 West 44th Street in Manhattan.
