DOLLY: A True Original Musical has begun an emotional new chapter as rehearsals move forward for its Broadway arrival this December at the St. James Theatre.
The stage musical tells Dolly Parton’s life story through her greatest hits and new material written for the production. Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher is leading the Broadway staging, which follows the musical’s earlier premiere in Nashville.
The company is now continuing without Parton, who died in August, just months after that Nashville premiere. Sher said her presence remains deeply embedded in the production after her sustained involvement in its development.
“We miss her a lot,” Sher told Broadway.com at the opening night of Other Desert Cities. “We have a new opening, there are a lot of new things. So that’s been fun to explore.”
According to Sher, Parton supplied additional music after the Nashville run, although he did not give a definitive number. “She wrote us at least two or three new songs since we were in Nashville. Maybe four,” he said.
Parton had also continued working with the creative team on the show’s script and overall construction. Sher said that collaboration remained consistent after Nashville and described her as being “immensely close to us all the way from the beginning to end.”
An Emotional Role for John Behlmann
John Behlmann, an alum of The Great Gatsby, plays Parton’s husband, Carl Dean. He described the first week of the Broadway rehearsal process as both moving and celebratory for the company.
“It’s very emotional being in the room with everyone and working on it,” Behlmann said. “But it’s also just incredibly joyful and really fun and we all feel really grateful.”
For Behlmann, the role carries particular weight because Dean stayed out of the spotlight. The actor said he does not believe Parton’s husband has previously been portrayed in another form, making the opportunity both an honor and a daunting responsibility.
Behlmann also had a direct connection to the story through Parton, who spoke to him about Dean and their relationship. Those conversations became especially meaningful during the earlier Nashville rehearsals, which began shortly after Dean had died.
“I remember being thanked by her for giving a little bit of him back because when we started rehearsals in Nashville, he had just passed away,” Behlmann said. “It’ll make me emotional talking about it now. Being able to do that for her, that’s always in there.”
Three Performers Will Portray Parton
The musical will divide its central role among three performers. Katie Rose Clarke, Carrie St. Louis and Norah Nunes will each portray Parton during a different period of her life.
That structure will allow the production to explore chapters of Parton’s personal story that audiences may not know, including her relationship with Dean. Behlmann said he is looking forward to theatergoers discovering those less familiar parts of her life.
The Broadway production will combine Parton’s established songs with the new numbers she created for the stage. It will also introduce a revised opening and other changes developed since the Nashville premiere.
ShowBiz Take
The significance of DOLLY: A True Original Musical now extends beyond its Broadway transfer. The company is preparing a revised version of the show after losing the person whose life it depicts and who remained closely involved in shaping it.
At the same time, the production is not being described solely through grief. Sher and Behlmann have emphasized the pleasure of discovering new elements and the joy inside the rehearsal room. That mixture of loss, gratitude and creative momentum defines the musical’s path to New York.
Parton’s contributions also remain concrete rather than merely commemorative: new songs, continued script work and discussions about the show’s structure all form part of the version audiences are expected to see.
What Happens Next?
DOLLY: A True Original Musical is scheduled to reach Broadway’s St. James Theatre in December. Before then, Sher and the company will continue developing the new opening and other revisions as Clarke, St. Louis and Nunes prepare to bring different stages of Parton’s story to the stage.