‘9 to 5’ singer, actress, and LGBTQ+ ally Dolly Parton is back in the news this week after announcing her upcoming autobiographical musical Hello, I’m Dolly, set to hit Broadway stages in 2026.
The musical will be Parton’s latest foray into the musical world, a journey that the singer began back in 1967 when she released her debut album of the same name.
According to the star, the project will focus on the true-to-life events of her upbringing, personal life, and music career with the glitz, glamour, and undeniable camp that the LGBTQ+ community has come to associate with Broadway productions.
The upcoming show, still nearly two years from its scheduled debut, will feature a mix of Parton’s classic chart-toppers, hand-selected by the singer from her extensive discography, alongside a number of original songs written especially for the project.
Hello, I’m Dolly, an obvious play on Hello, Dolly, the classic 1964 musical, will be co-written by Parton and her former Christmas on the Square colleague Maria S. Schlatter.
“You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp,” said Parton in a statement announcing the upcoming show at the Country Music Awards (CMA) Fest in Nashville on Thursday, June 6.
“It truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera. Pun and fun intended. Don’t miss it!”
In an accompanying Instagram post announcing the show and sharing the musical’s logo, Parton added: “I’ve been writing my life story as a Broadway musical for several years and I’m proud to announce we are finally developing ‘Hello, I’m Dolly’ for the Broadway stage”.
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Hello, I’m Dolly will be Parton’s latest return to Broadway after the chart-topping country music star penned the score for the stage adaptation of 9 to 5 in the naughties. Parton earned herself a Tony Award for the show in 2009.
While developing a pre-pandemic British revival of 9 to 5 for the West End stage, Parton crossed paths with Adam Speers from Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) Productions. Speers and ATG have once again joined forces with Parton to produce her upcoming autobiographical stage show.
In a statement following the announcement of Hello, I’m Dolly, Speers said: “I first had the pleasure of working with Dolly Parton in 2019 when she trusted us to develop a new version of her musical ‘9 to 5’ for London’s West End. I had always heard she wanted to do a musical based on her life, so when she asked if I would be interested in producing it, I was bowled over.
“As the world knows, Dolly is a magical blend of talent, hard work, intelligence, charm, wit and a gigantically big heart. I’m thrilled we’re going to bring her inspiring story to Broadway.”
With the debut of Hello, I’m Dolly still a ways away, there is no set date for the show’s premiere, nor is there any information on where in New York City it will play. But we trust Dolly, as we always have, to keep us up to date on the latest happenings as production moves forward.
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