A Dolly Parton Musical is Coming + We Think We Know Who’s Playing Dolly

Dolly Parton's life story will be told in a new bio-musical set for Broadway in 2026. The singer will write the music, co-write the book and serve as producer on Hello, I'm Dolly.

• Parton called Hello, I'm Dolly a "Grand Ol' Opera."
• Rumors of this production have been circulating for nearly 15 years.
• In 2009, Parton even named the person she thought she could play the lead character.

Dolly Parton's Hello, I'm Dolly: Everything We Know

The name of Dolly Parton's new musical is the same of her first studio album, released in 1967. Deadline points out that Parton and Maria S. Schlatter wrote the book for Hello, I'm Dolly. These two worked together previously on Christmas on the Square, which won an Emmy after its release in 2019.

The theatrical presentation of Parton's life story promises new music and a few hits. It will open Broadway (as in New York City, not Nashville) on an unannounced date in 2026. No cast has been revealed, but ...

Who Will Play Dolly Parton?

As early as 2009, Parton has named actor-turned-country singer Kristin Chenoweth as someone who could do her justice. PlayBill did a story about Parton's appearance on a holiday special during which the country icon said, "But seriously, I'm hoping that she might possibly do that when I get finished."

Parton also told Carrie Underwood that, with a little padding on top, she could do the job too. Older country music fans may recall that Parton's zaftig figure once dominated late night television show monologues.

Chenoweth has always seemed open to the idea. She once told Jay Leno she wants to but, "I'm lacking a couple of things and we both know what they are." Several times she's expressed how ready she is.

In 2022, Parton once again attached Chenoweth to the musical after admitting the COVID-19 halted the significant progress she'd made in developing the idea.

That came after a 2020 Marie Claire interview, during which Parton said:

"I love Kristin Chenoweth. She’s just absolutely fantastic. Years and years ago, when I was going to do the Broadway musical — I never can get it to how I want it, but I’m still working on it. But I thought she’d be an ideal person to do that."

The second big announcement from Parton is that she's opening a hotel in downtown Nashville. The Songteller Hotel will open on 3rd and Commerce, just north of Lower Broadway.

Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he's written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.