Dolly Parton plans to work on life story as she may host 'Finding Jolly' contest to cast Broadway musical
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dolly Parton is set to fulfill her Broadway musical dream as she hinted at a unique opportunity for aspiring actors to play her.
The 78-year-old Grammy winner spoke to People about her forthcoming musical that will chronicle her life and career.
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Dolly Parton shares excitement for her Broadway musical project
The country music legend shared her excitement about the project, stating, "Right now, I'm working on my life story as a musical, and so going on Broadway and opening my show on Broadway, that's been a biggie [goal] in my mind for many, many years."
"That'd be the one that I want to make certain I get done while I'm still kicking, while I'm around to stay involved in it," she added.
Teasing details about the musical, Parton said the stage show would chronicle her life in Tennessee where she grew up, and her life transitioning to the superstardom in the entertainment industry for several years.
"The whole first act is my early days before I went to Nashville. The second act is about my days in Nashville and beyond," she said of the musical.
"So the first part of the musical will be a lot like Coat of Many Colors with music and songs and will involve more details," she added.
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When will Dolly Parton's Broadway musical be premiered?
Parton revealed she wrote the music and half of the script for the musical and shared that she is hoping to complete and release the project by "late '25."
The 'Jolene' singer also shared that she may even host a 'Finding Dolly' contest.
The music icon expects there to be three performers to play a "little Dolly," an "earlier years Dolly" and "an older Dolly" to portray three different phases of her life.
"We're going to be auditioning and trying to find them through different means," said Parton.
"I think that'll be fun for people, too. You never know where you're going to find them," she added.
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"They may never have been on stage before, or maybe in some local theater somewhere, but we're going to look for them and that's going to be part of the fun, I think," she continued.
Parton previously shared that the pandemic led to the musical's delay as she said, "I was just about to have it ready when Covid-19 hit and Broadway shut down.
"Then I thought, 'Well, maybe I’ll do it as a biopic,' and wrote up a script for that. But then I was like, “Nah, everybody’s doing a biopic! I’m going back to Broadway now that it’s open,” she told USA Today in October 2023.
"So I’m hoping to have my show [there] in spring of 2025. That’s my aim!," she added at the time.
