‘DOLLY: A True Original Musical’ heads to Broadway: official opening January 19, 2027, on what would have been Dolly Parton’s 81st birthday

The life story of Dolly Parton is coming to Broadway. The musical “DOLLY: A True Original Musical,” inspired by the extraordinary life of the queen of country music, begins previews on Monday, December 7, at New York’s St. James Theatre, with the official opening set for January 19 — what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.

The musical arrives just one month after Parton’s death following a brief battle with cancer, at age 80. According to the announcement, Parton herself took part in developing the production, which tells her story through her own words and music. Audiences will hear some of her most beloved hits — “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “9 to 5” — alongside original songs written for the show.

From the Smoky Mountains, where she was born and raised in poverty, to the title “Queen of Country Music,” Parton built a career that transcended music — as a singer, actress, philanthropist and global cultural icon. The production offers fans a new way to remember her decades-long legacy.

Tickets are already on sale, USA Today reports: the cheapest start at $119 for the December 23 and 30 performances, while the official opening night — January 19, her birthday — is already completely sold out. After the December previews, performances continue throughout 2027, into January 2028.

The official Broadway cast has not yet been announced. In the early workshop Kerry Butler (known from “Hairspray”) played Parton, while in the Nashville phase Parton at three stages of life was played by Quinn Titcomb (as a little girl), Carrie St. Louis (as a young woman) and Katie Rose Clarke (as the grown icon, known from “Merrily We Roll Along”).

Photo: Tech. Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby / U.S. Air Force (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)