Dolly Parton Broadway Musical Reveals Lead Cast, Offers 30,000 Free Student Tickets

“DOLLY: A True Original Musical” has revealed its five lead cast members, handpicked by Dolly Parton before her recent passing.

First up is Katie Rose Clarke, who is reprising her role as an adult Dolly Parton from the show’s Nashville production. Carrie St. Louis will portray a burgeoning singer-songwriter Dolly trying to get her big break in the Nashville music scene, while 11-year-old Norah Nunes will play a young Dolly.

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Rounding out the cast are John Behlmann as Parton’s longtime husband, Carl Dean, and Gabriel Ebert as Porter Wagoner, the country superstar who introduced Dolly to a national audience through his TV show.

In addition to classics like “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and “9 to 5,” “DOLLY: A True Original Musical” features new songs that Parton wrote specifically for the show.

Bartlett Sher will direct from a book by Parton and Maria S. Schlatter. Music supervisor Stephen Oremus heads the music team, with Charity Wicks serving as music director and Mandy Moore handling choreography.

“It’s a rare privilege to create a musical alongside the person whose story you’re telling, and working with Dolly on this show will always be special. She was passionate about every aspect of our production, but never more than when choosing the actors who would bring her story, and the people closest to her, to life on Broadway,” Adam Speers of ATG Productions said in a statement. “Dolly wanted performers with strength, kindness, and humanity as well as talent. In Katie, Carrie, Norah, John, and Gabe, she knew we had a company that could tell the hopeful, deeply human story of what it means to be a true original.”

In true Dolly spirit, the musical’s producers have partnered with the New York City Department of Education to offer 30,000 free tickets to public middle school and high school students during the show’s first year on Broadway.

Speaking about the initiative, New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said: “The arts are an essential part of New York City Public Schools, and thousands of students and their families will now have the chance to experience Broadway for the first time. What better story to begin with than that of Dolly Parton’s? Her journey is a reminder that talent, hard work, and belief in yourself and your community can carry you anywhere, and those are values our students can relate to. Partnerships like this give students real-life exposure that fuels dreams and launches careers, and we look forward to continuing to provide access to opportunities like these.”

Preview performances of “DOLLY: A True Original Musical” will kick off at the St. James Theatre on Monday, December 7th, with the official opening night taking place on January 19th, 2027, to coincide with what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday. It is currently set to run through November 21st, 2027.

Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster, or look for deals through Vivid Seats (where fans can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout).