Dolly Parton Opens Up About Her Emotional Journey of Creating Her Debut Musical

Published: May 30, 2025

Dolly Parton is finally bringing her life story to the big lights of Broadway, but the country superstar admits it's been a long time coming.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Parton spoke about the emotional journey of creating her first-ever musical, Dolly: An Official Musical, which will kick off with previews in Nashville on July 18 and officially open on August 8 before heading to Broadway in 2026.

"I have a lot of mixed emotions about the whole thing," Parton candidly shared. "When it started, I'd cry some, and then I'd laugh some, and I think, 'Oh, my Lord, why did I do that?' Or just, 'How did I ever have the time to do all that?' So you have a lot of mixed emotions and have thoughts about every part of it."

The show, which is Parton's debut musical, will feature new and classic songs with a non-linear take on Parton's life story, blending country roots with full Broadway orchestration.

"It's got a lot of good country music in it, a lot of good country stories, but it also has a lot of the big orchestration, all the things that I've always dreamed about having my songs and stories on stage and telling my life story," Parton explained. "I waited for a while till I was this old so I could tell it so, so I could tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth — So, help me, Lord!"

Parton, however, will not be performing in the show herself. In fact, she'll be enjoying a much-needed break once Dolly hits production.

"I'm going to be tied up here in Nashville all summer, working on [the musical] until through August, for sure," she said. "And then once I catch my breath, I don't know what I'm going to do, probably just catch my breath. Take a breather."

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