If you bear a striking resemblance to Dolly Parton — from any era of her career — the country legend just might want to cast you in a Broadway musical about her life.
That’s right: Parton’s currently at work on adapting her life into a musical, she revealed to People.
“Going on Broadway and opening my show on Broadway, that’s been a biggie [goal] in my mind for many, many years,” she explains. “That’d be the one I want to make certain I get done while I’m still kicking, while I’m around to stay involved in it.”
That way, she’ll get to make creative decisions, including making the slightly unorthodox call to open up casting to prospective Dollys from all walks of life — not just those with significant musical theater experience under their belts.
Parton says she might even be at the helm of a “Finding Dolly” contest, opening up a broad talent search to cast three different iterations of the title character. Those will be “little Dolly,” “earlier years Dolly” and “an older Dolly,” the singer explains.
“We’re going to be auditioning them and trying to find them through different means. I think that’ll be fun for people, too,” Parton continues. “You never know where you’re going to find them. 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.”
It’s not the first time Parton’s teased the idea of a musical based on her life: She’s brought it up in interviews here and there. The singer hopes to have the show mounted by “late ’25,” according to her latest conversation with People.
It’s one of several career dreams the country legend is still working on making a reality. Last January, Parton revealed to Taste of Country that she’s also hoping to launch her own television network one day soon.
Remember When Dolly Parton Hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’?
Dolly Parton is a country music legend, but she’s also got a great sense of humor! The icon showed both talents off when she hosted and served as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
On April 15, 1989, Parton took the SNL stage with her voluminous blonde hair and blue sparkly threads to host the night’s show, as well as perform on it. She called her outfit the “NBC peacock,” and said she was told to shake her tail feathers while onstage, which she did. Parton showed fans so many years ago that she’s not just another pretty face with a great voice. Turns out, she’s somewhat of a comedian! Parton starred in a few skits that night, including “Planet of the Enormous Hooters” (yes, really!) and “Celebrity Restaurant.”
Her bustline was the focus of some laughs during her opening monologue, too.
“Wow! Well, howdy out there,” she says in the clip above. “Whoa boy, you are alive tonight! Oh boy. Thank you so much! … Oh, it really is great to be here in New York. I always have a good time here. But I have to be honest with you, though, I was a little nervous and a little worried about coming here,” she says as the camera focuses more and more on her chest. “You know, it’s Saturday Night Live and all, and you hear all kinds of things, but … don’t you folks believe that for a minute! These folks have gone out of their way to make me feel like one of the family.”
The whole episode of SNL was star-studded and included both regular talent and guests like Conan O’Brien, Jeanne Dixon, Victoria Jackson, Mike Myers, Ben Stiller and Jack Nicholson.
See Pictures of Dolly Parton Through the Years
Dolly Parton, 1965
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1965
Just one year before this photo was taken, Dolly Parton had moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams at the age of 18. It was the day after her graduation. The next year (1965) she signed with Monument Records as a pop artist. Luckily, she eventually found her home in country music.
Dolly Parton, 1967
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1967
Dolly Parton’s name began to sizzle in 1967 with the help of Porter Wagoner. She was a weekly performer on his TV show. This same year, Parton released “Dumb Blonde,” her first country single. The song — from her album Hello, I’m Dolly, which was her only album on Monument — rose to No. 24 on the charts. Parton soon signed with Wagoner’s label, RCA.
Dolly Parton, 1968
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1968
Dolly Parton started 1968 off with a bang! The singer got a country Top 10 hit in “The Last Thing on My Mind” with Porter Wagoner. The pair were named Vocal Group of the Year by the CMA. This same year Parton released her first solo single for RCA Victor, which climbed into the Top 20.
Dolly Parton, 1969
RCA Records
Dolly Parton, 1969
1969 was a big year for Dolly Parton. She put out two records, including, “The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad).” She was also inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.
Dolly Parton, 1971
RCA Records
Dolly Parton, 1971
Dolly Parton received her first-ever No. 1 single in 1971 with “Joshua.” This was the beginning of her streak of hits as a solo artist. “Coat of Many Colors” also came out this year.
Dolly Parton, 1973
RCA Records
Dolly Parton, 1973
October of 1973 changed everything for Parton. She released “Jolene,” which is still one of her biggest hits today. The song has been covered by a wide range of other artists, including the White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Ellie Goulding, Miley Cyrus and many, many more.
Dolly Parton, 1974
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1974
Dolly Parton embarked on a new journey in 1974 when she left Wagoner’s group. They performed their last show together in April and she left his TV show not long after. The two were still connected, though, as he’d continue producing her albums.
Dolly Parton, 1976
Vincent McEvoy, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1976
Dolly Parton started a new venture in 1976 with her own TV variety show. Dolly! had high ratings but was only on the air for a season. This year she released All I Can Do and started working behind the scenes of making her music.
Dolly Parton, 1977
Keystone, Getty Images
Dolly Parton, 1977
In 1977, Dolly Parton made the move from solely singing country music to incorporating more pop in her sound. This year, “Here You Come Again” was a hit on both charts. This was Parton’s first song to sell a million!
