B'way Update: Dolly Parton Musical

Carrie St. Louis, Katie Rose Clarke and
Quinn Titcomb in
Dolly: A True Original Musical in Nashville.
Credit: Matthew Murphy

That Dolly Parton musical is coming to Broadway after all. After receiving mostly negative reviews for its world premiere in Nashville last year, the show's future appeared uncertain. But it has just been announced Dolly: A True Original Musical will begin preview performances at the St. James Theater on Dec. 7 and open on Parton's 81st birthday on Jan. 19, 2027. The score will be composed of Parton's past hits and new tunes she has written especially for the show. Parton also collaborated on the book with Emmy winner Maria S. Schlatter (Parton's Christmas on the Square TV movie). Tony winner Barlett Sher (The King and I, South Pacific) directs. No word on casting as of yet. In Nashville, the lead role was played by three actresses, enacting different phases in the 11-time Grammy winner's life. Bio musicals on Cher and Donna Summer were similarly split three ways. Parton previously wrote the score to the musical version of 9 to 5, based on the movie in which she co-starred with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda.

“My whole life has been a musical. A grand ole opera really and I can’t wait to present it to you on Broadway," says Parton in a statement. "I hope you enjoy watching as much as I’ve enjoyed livin’ it.”

“During our world premiere in Nashville, I was overwhelmed by the deep connection audiences have with Dolly. You mention her name and people light up and share a time that she has inspired them and brought them joy," says Sher. "But despite all of that genuine love, Dolly has never really shared her story before. She’s offered glimpses and peeks, but this musical allows her to reveal the unfiltered story in her own words. As we prepare to come to Broadway, we’re thrilled to show that rhinestones were never her whole story.”

2026-27 Broadway/Off-Broadway Schedule
Summer 2026
July 10--Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo (Perelman Performing Arts Center)
July 14--The Whoopi Monologues (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)
July 27--The Saviors (Atlantic Theater Company)
Aug. 11--An American Daughter (La Femme Prods./Signature Center)
Aug. 11--The Winter's Tale (Public Theater/Delacorte in Central Park)
Aug. 25--Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway (August Wilson)
Bocking (New Group/Theater at St. Clements)

Fall 2026

Sept. 9--In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat (New York Theater Workshop) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Sept. 11--America, Who Hurt You? (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Sept. 15--creation stories and all the important importants (LCT/Clara Tow) (Previews begin, opening TBA)

Sept. 27--How Shakespeare Saved My Life (Public)

Sept. 28--School Girls or The African Mean Girls Play (MTC/Friedman) 

Oct. 9--Good Time Charley (Public)

Oct. 13--The Unbelievers (MTC/City Center)

Oct. 13--Anon--a tempest at our kitchen table (MCC)

Oct. 18--Other Desert Cities (Hudson)

Oct. 21--The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Public)

Oct. 21--860 (Imperial)

Oct. 22--Magic Mike Live New York 

Oct. 22--2:22: A Ghost Story (Lortel)

Oct. 29--A Few Good Men (LCT/Vivian Beaumont)

October--Ms. Blakk for President (Vineyard)

Nov. 3--We'll See (Public)

Nov. 5--The Verge (Public)

Nov. 8--Wanted (James Earl Jones)

Nov. 9--The Visitors (Second Stage/Signature Center)

Nov. 10--Elektra (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Nov. 16--The Fantasticks (Revised Version) (Second Stage/Hayes)

Nov. 19--Much Ado About Nothing (Winter Garden)

Nov. 21--Imitation of Life (The Shed/National Black Theater) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Nov. 23--Seven Guitars (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

Nov. 24--Wild Rose (NYTW) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Degenerates (Playwrights Horizons)

Dreamgirls

The Heart (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

HOLE! (Playwrights Horizons)

The Imaginary Invalid (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

Jackals (New Group/Theater at St. Clements)

the ripple, the wave that carried me home (Playwrights Horizons)

Winter 2026-27

Dec. 1--Inter Alia (Music Box)

Dec. 6--Galileo: A Rock Musical (Shubert) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 13--Honor, An Artist Lecture by Suzanne Bocanegra in Tandem with Lili Taylor (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 19--Dolly: A True Original Musical (St. James)

Jan. 28--Pretend It's Pretend (LCT/Clara Tow) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Jan. 2027--Awake and Sing (MTC/Samuel Friedman)

Jan. 2027--The Heart Sellers (MCC)

Feb. 22--Work of Devotion (Second Stage/Signature Center)

Feb. 28--King Lear (Theater for a New Audience) (previews begin, opening TBA)

Feb. 2027--Three Days of Rain (Shubert theater TBA)

Are the Bennett Girls OK? (Public)

Mix and Master (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

The Grief Eater Near North Bender (Roundabout/NYTW/Laura Pels)

Welcome Table (Public)

Wold Meteor (Playwrights Horizons)

Spring 2027

March 25--Evita (Winter Garden)

April 5--Gloria (Second Stage/Hayes)

April 15--The Sound of Music (LCT/Vivian Beaumont)

April 18--Paddington the Musical (Al Hirschfeld)

April 28--how to roll a blunt (Second Stage/Signature Center)

April--Warriors (Lunt-Fontanne)

May 6--Born in the Dirt (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

The Annunciation (Playwrights Horizons)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Damn Yankees

Feast of Rabbits (Playwrights Horizons)

The Full Monty (Roundabout/Todd Haimes)

Montauk (MTC/Samuel J. Friedman)

The Vagina Monologues (Roundabout/Laura Pels)

Summer 2027

June--What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (MCC)

2026-27
Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo
Private Lives

Dates TBD

MISS STEP (Playwrights Horizons)

Narcissister (Playwrights Horizons)

New work by Monica Bill Barnes and Robbie Saenz de Viteri (Playwright Horizons)

Playing Burton (LCT/Mitzi Newhouse)

Future--10 Things I Hate About You; Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death; Beat Street; Black Orpheus; Coal Miner's Daughter; Come Fall in Love--The DDLJ Musical; Crazy Rich Asians; Dare To Be Stupid: The Weird Al Yankovic Musical; The Devil Wears Prada; Ella: An American Miracle; Eurovision Song Contest; Everybody's Talking About Jamie; Fahrenheit 451; Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Musical; Frida, the Musical; Game of Thrones; Get Happy; The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation; High Noon; Imitation of Life; The Interestings; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; The Karate Kid; La La Land; The Mousetrap; Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Spotlight Manor; The Nanny; The Normal Heart/The Destiny of Me; Pal Joey; Particle Fever; Purple Rain; The Queen's Gambit; Rear Window; The Secret Garden; Sing Street; Slumdog Millionaire; Soul Train; Studio 54; Waking Ned Devine; Working Girl.

2026-27 Broadway Season Breakdown

New Plays

Inter Alia

Mix and Master

Montauk

Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Broadway

New Musicals

Dolly: A True Original Musical

Galileo, A Rock Musical

Let the Good Times Roll: A New Orleans Gumbo

Paddington The Musical

Wanted

Warriors

Play Revivals

Awake and Sing

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

A Few Good Men

Gloria

The Imaginary Invalid

Much Ado About Nothing

Other Desert Cities

Private Lives

School Girls or the African Mean Girls Play

Three Days of Rain

Musical Revivals

Damn Yankees

Dreamgirls

Evita

The Fantasticks

The Full Monty

The Sound of Music

Solos/Specialties

860 (Billy Crystal)

Celebrity Autobiography