Dolly Parton’s deeply personal Broadway musical will continue as planned following the country music legend’s death at 80, giving audiences another chance to experience the story she spent years preparing to tell.
Producers have confirmed that DOLLY: A True Original Musical will begin preview performances at New York City’s St. James Theatre on December 7, 2026, with opening night scheduled for January 19, 2027 — what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.
The decision carries particular emotional weight because Parton herself had wanted the production to move forward. Her team has described the continuation of the musical as being “Dolly’s wish.”
The production is based on Parton’s extraordinary journey from a childhood in the Smoky Mountains to international fame. It explores the experiences, choices and challenges that shaped the woman behind the rhinestones and worldwide success.
Parton was directly involved in the creative process. The musical features her music, including familiar songs as well as new material written specifically for the production.
She had previously explained that she wanted to tell her story while she was still alive, rather than leaving others to interpret her life after she was gone. The musical therefore represented an unusually personal opportunity for her to present her own version of her journey.
The show had already received a world premiere in Nashville before its planned move to Broadway. Its Broadway production will continue with much of the creative vision that Parton helped establish.
Her longtime manager, Danny Nozell, has also revealed that Parton had worked with a handpicked team to create a long-term roadmap for her projects. The goal was to ensure that work she had personally developed could continue even after her death.
That roadmap includes numerous projects beyond the musical, but the Broadway production may be among the most personal because it allows audiences to encounter Parton’s life through her own songs and storytelling.
Opening the musical on her 81st birthday now gives the production an even deeper significance. What was originally intended as a celebration of a milestone has become a tribute to the artist herself.
For fans, DOLLY: A True Original Musical will therefore be more than another Broadway show. It will be one of the final major projects Parton helped shape personally — allowing her voice, music and story to continue reaching audiences long after she left the stage.
**Compiled from various sources.**
