DOLLY Musical Announces Five Broadway Leads

The Broadway production DOLLY: A True Original Musical has announced five principal performers, with previews scheduled to begin December 7 at the St. James Theatre and an opening planned for January 19, 2027. The cast will portray Dolly Parton at different stages of her life, as well as two figures from her career and personal life. Katie Rose Clarke will play the adult Parton, reprising her role from the musical’s Nashville production. Carrie St. Louis will portray Parton as an aspiring singer-songwriter in Nashville, and 11-year-old Norah Nunes will make her Broadway debut as Little Dolly. John Behlmann will play Carl Dean, Parton’s husband, and Gabriel Ebert will portray country singer Porter Wagoner, an early collaborator who helped introduce her to a national television audience. The production’s announcement said Parton selected the five performers. The musical includes well-known songs from her catalog as well as new songs she wrote for the show. Parton and Maria S. Schlatter wrote the book, and Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher is directing. The opening is scheduled for January 19, 2027, which would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.