Country-pop icon Dolly Parton is setting her eyes on Broadway with a bio-musical titled "Hello, I’m Dolly," set to debut in 2026. The show, which will chronicle Parton’s illustrious life and career, was announced by the legendary singer herself during CMA Fest in Nashville, as part of the festival’s Fan Fair activities.
The musical will be a blend of freshly written songs and some of Parton's timeless hits, her fans’ favorites. Parton is co-writing the book for this autobiographical production with Maria S. Schlatter, her collaborator on the 2020 Netflix movie “Christmas on the Square.”
Parton is producing “Hello, I’m Dolly” along with Adam Speers of ATG Productions and Danny Nozell of CTK Enterprises. ATG Productions is famous for successful productions like “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” and a recent revival of “Sunset Boulevard.” CTK Enterprises, a Nashville-based management company led by Nozell, counts Parton among its most high-profile clients.
The announcement has already created a buzz, even though casting, creative hires, and a specific theater are yet to be revealed.
This is not the first time Parton is coming to Broadway. Her previous Broadway foray was in 2009 when she wrote the score for the stage adaptation of “9 to 5,” earning her a Tony nomination. It was through a British revival of this musical that she connected with producer Adam Speers.
“I first had the pleasure of working with Dolly Parton in 2019 when she trusted us to develop a new version of her musical ‘9 to 5’ for London’s West End," Speers said expressing his excitement. "I’m thrilled we’re going to bring her inspiring story to Broadway.”
Parton herself made a charming and enthusiastic announcement that created a buzz in the town. “Hello, I’m Dolly, and I lived my whole life to see this show on stage,” she wrote. “I’ve written many original songs for the show and included all your favorites in it as well. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp; it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera. Pun and fun intended. Don’t miss it!”
The title “Hello, I’m Dolly” pays homage to Parton’s 1967 debut album, cleverly nodding to the Broadway classic “Hello, Dolly!” which opened in 1964 and became a monumental success.
The upcoming show joins a lineage of musicals based on the lives of iconic singers, such as “A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical,” “MJ: The Musical,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “The Cher Show,” “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” and “Jersey Boys.”
However, unlike these jukebox musicals, “Hello, I’m Dolly” will stand out by featuring new songs written by Parton herself, with a book co-written by the star, making it a unique entry in Broadway’s lineup.
Country music has had a varied history on Broadway. While a Loretta Lynn musical based on “Coal Miner’s Daughter” has been in development since 2012, it has yet to hit the stage. More recently, the country musical “Shucked” opened to favorable reviews but had a shorter run than anticipated, although it is set for a national tour starting this fall. Historically, the genre saw success with 1985’s “Big River” and 1978’s “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” the latter being adapted into a 1982 film starring Parton.
