Dolly Parton handpicked the leads for her Broadway musical before her passing, and the cast is finally here. DOLLY: A True Original Musical will feature three actresses playing Dolly at different ages: Katie Rose Clarke as adult Dolly (she originated the role in the Nashville run), Carrie St. Louis as a young singer-songwriter Dolly, and 11-year-old Norah Nunes as the youngest version. John Behlmann plays Carl Dean, with Gabriel Ebert as Porter Wagoner and Bartlett Sher directing.
The show isn’t just a jukebox ride through“Jolene”and“9 to 5.”Dolly wrote brand-new songs specifically for the production, with a book she co-wrote with Maria S. Schlatter. Previews begin December 7 at the St. James Theatre, opening night lands on January 19, 2027 (which would have been Dolly’s 81st birthday), and the run continues through November 21, 2027.
Arguably the biggest news: producers partnered with the NYC Department of Education to give 30,000 free tickets to public middle and high school students during the first year of the show. For a lot of those kids, this will be their first Broadway experience ever. Which Dolly era are you most excited to see on stage?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.