Dolly Parton’s life story will take centerstage in a whole new venue in 2026.
The globally-beloved country legend announced on Thursday morning (June 6) that she will debut Hello, I’m Dolly - An Original Musical for Broadway. The show will include original music and lyrics by Parton and book by Maria S. Schlatter, per the upcoming musical’s website. The Broadway show’s title nods to Parton’s debut album she released in the 1960s, Hello, I’m Dolly.
“Hello, I’m Dolly!” Parton gushed in an Instagram caption as she posted her announcement. “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 - An Original Musical’ for the Broadway stage.”
Parton joked that her Broadway musical will be a “Grand Ole Opera,” nodding to the historic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
Parton unveiled plans to develop her story into a Broadway musical when she took the stage at Fan Fair X at CMA Fest on Thursday, kicking off the iconic festival on its first day in 2024. CMA Fest is hailed the longest-running country festival in the world, now in its 51st year. Parton took the CMA Close Up Stage for a special conversation inside the Music City Center — a massive, 2.1 million square foot convention center — to launch the star-studded festival.
Throughout the special conversation, Parton also revealed plans for her first-ever collection of wines, shared details about her Nashville Songteller hotel and museum opening in Music City, her upcoming cook book she wrote with her sister, and more. Parton said it “seems like it’s the year for family,” with some of her projects in the works serving as a tribute to her family and East Tennessee hometown. “It just turned out that way.”