Remember last summer, when we first reported that Dolly Parton was taking to the Broadway stage again with the announcement of a brand-new original musical? Well, only hours ago, the iconic superstar took to the stage of the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee to share an exciting update on the kept-closely-under-lock-and-key project.
Dolly: An Original Musical will have its world premiere this summer at none other than… the very stage Parton was standing on at the time of the announcement.
The Fisher Center, Nashville’s world-class home for the performing arts will host the show’s big debut before the production heads to Broadway in 2026. Dolly: An Original Musical, will play a four-week limited engagement with preview performances beginning Friday, July 18 for a Friday, August 8 opening night with a final performance set for Sunday, August 17.
Go ahead and start looking for an outfit now and it better have sequins.
During this morning’s press conference, Parton declared, “I am Tennessee born and raised, and Nashville has been my musical home for over 60 years. So, this is the right and perfect place to present the world premiere of my life story as a musical. Right here in Nashville, at the beautiful Belmont University’s Fisher Center.”
This will mark the first time the Fisher Center will host the world premiere of a new musical featuring a cast and creative team of professional artists. Frankly, there’s no better way to start than with Dolly.
Dolly: An Original Musical will feature a score by Parton that will include some of her biggest hits as well as new songs she has written especially for the musical, a book by Parton and Maria S. Schlatter, and will be directed by Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher. The musical is produced by Parton, Danny Nozell, ATG Productions, and Gavin Kalin Productions. Jim Carnahan and Carrie Gardner serve as casting directors, and 101 Productions, Ltd. are general manager for the musical.
But the BIGGEST question of all remains: WHO THE HECK IS GONNA PLAY DOLLY?!
We could speculate and pitch ideas all day long (Emily West? Janelle Arthur? Meg Hilty? Sierra Boggess? Should we just stop here?) but casting directors have no doubt been doing their due diligence and then some, even opening up the auditions to dreamers across the globe through the recently concluded “The Search for Dolly,” a nationwide casting search which will give those chosen a chance to travel to New York to formally audition for a role in the new musical.
Those search results, additional casting and creative team members, and other details for the world premiere of Dolly: An Original Musical at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts will be announced in the coming weeks.
“I am Tennessee born and raised, and Nashville has been my musical home for over 60 years. So, this is the right and perfect place to present the world premiere of my life story as a musical. Right here in Nashville, at the beautiful Belmont University’s Fisher Center.”
— Dolly Parton on the decision to debut her brand-new musical in Nashville
But to know Parton and her legacy is to know that she’s gonna take her efforts to benefit the next generation to the furthest degree, and if it can involve education, it will.
As part of the big musical partnership with Belmont’s Fisher Center, Parton, Dolly: An Original Musical, CTK Enterprises, and Belmont University announced the launch of the Dolly U, an immersive educational experience that will begin with a focus on the creation of the musical’s world premiere.
The initial Dolly U allows students opportunities to participate in aspects of the production, working alongside the musical’s professional cast, creative, and producing teams, as it is developed and premieres at the Fisher Center this summer. In addition, new project-based courses are being offered during the spring semester in subjects such as marketing, brand partnerships, and merchandising, providing students with hands-on opportunities with the musical while receiving course credit.
Thank you, Professor Parton!
The projects in this first year will serve as a pilot for additional courses and connections between Belmont, Dolly Parton, and CTK Enterprises in the future, as Dolly U expands in reach and impact. For more information, visit www.belmont.edu/dollyu.
As part of this initial program, Dolly U students have been working as production assistants and casting ambassadors helping facilitate the recently concluded “The Search for Dolly” national casting search.
Who runs the world? We’re pretty sure it’s the one-and-only Dolly.
Tickets for Dolly: An Original Musical, with prices starting at just $40, are on sale now at www.dollymusical.com or by calling the Fisher Center Box Office at 615-460-2255. For news and updates on Dolly: An Original Musical, please sign up at www.dollymusical.com