Will "Dolly : The Musical" make it to Broadway ?

[Ali Gator]

"Dolly: The Musical", the long awaited musical biopic of country icon Dolly Parton is slated to open at the August Wilson Theater on B'way this spring, but those who have already seen the show in previews have some serious doubts.

The show has opened in previews a couple of weeks ago for it's off-Broadway run at the Fisher Center in Nashville, ahead of its August 9 scheduled opening for a three-week limited engagement. Ticket prices for 'the first nine rows of orchestra' were priced at $295, with lower priced tix between $99 - $140 (again, these are 'Broadway ticket prices'  for a 'work-in-progress' musical in Nashville -keep that in mind). There has been much public criticism over the ticket prices and the theater has responded by offering more 'lower price' tickets (especially since the word-of-mouth has been horrendous). 

Those who have seen the show said it's a 'disaster of Biblical times', a complete mess, and a 'wreck worse than the Titanic'. The show has a run time of over three hours, with Act 1 clocking in at 90 minutes (more recent reviews from this weekend said it's been cut to about 2 hours and 45 minutes; still too long for B'way). Those who have seen it said it feels more like a 'punishment' to fans rather than a tribute to Dolly. Another theater-goer said 'it doesn't know if it wants to be a concert or a musical biopic' as it keeps changing paths throughout the evening.  The set design, costumes, lighting, and song catalog are all heavily criticized from those who have seen it (some are saying the show really focuses on Parton's early years of her career, and glosses over the past 40 years). Many say the show has no direction. 

Will it make it to B'way for the upcoming season ? That remains to be seen - the general consensus is that it need a ton of work, and it won't make it by March (it's proposed opening).  Others feel the producers will skip B'way altogether, and send it to 'Dollywood' as another attraction for park attendees. 

[+ ApexNomad]

On 8/3/2025 at 12:52 AM, Ali Gator said:

"Dolly: The Musical", the long awaited musical biopic of country icon Dolly Parton is slated to open at the August Wilson Theater on B'way this spring, but those who have already seen the show in previews have some serious doubts.

The show has opened in previews a couple of weeks ago for it's off-Broadway run at the Fisher Center in Nashville, ahead of its August 9 scheduled opening for a three-week limited engagement. Ticket prices for 'the first nine rows of orchestra' were priced at $295, with lower priced tix between $99 - $140 (again, these are 'Broadway ticket prices'  for a 'work-in-progress' musical in Nashville -keep that in mind). There has been much public criticism over the ticket prices and the theater has responded by offering more 'lower price' tickets (especially since the word-of-mouth has been horrendous). 

Those who have seen the show said it's a 'disaster of Biblical times', a complete mess, and a 'wreck worse than the Titanic'. The show has a run time of over three hours, with Act 1 clocking in at 90 minutes (more recent reviews from this weekend said it's been cut to about 2 hours and 45 minutes; still too long for B'way). Those who have seen it said it feels more like a 'punishment' to fans rather than a tribute to Dolly. Another theater-goer said 'it doesn't know if it wants to be a concert or a musical biopic' as it keeps changing paths throughout the evening.  The set design, costumes, lighting, and song catalog are all heavily criticized from those who have seen it (some are saying the show really focuses on Parton's early years of her career, and glosses over the past 40 years). Many say the show has no direction. 

Will it make it to B'way for the upcoming season ? That remains to be seen - the general consensus is that it need a ton of work, and it won't make it by March (it's proposed opening).  Others feel the producers will skip B'way altogether, and send it to 'Dollywood' as another attraction for park attendees. 

Bio-musicals are incredibly tricky. How do you condense an entire life, one that’s still unfolding, mind you, into two and a half hours? It didn’t quite work for The Cher Show. The Tina Turner musical was done better by the movie. I haven’t seen MJ, but from what I’ve heard, it skips over a lot. 

Honestly, Mamma Mia! might be the smarter model: use an artist’s catalog to tell an original story rather than attempt a cradle-to-stage biography.

If you’re going to dip into Dolly’s treasure chest (no pun intended), why not use it for a fresh narrative? A jukebox musical inspired by her spirit, rather than trying to cast the impossible. 

There’s only one Dolly.

[MaybeMaybeNot]

I can't say I am disappointed to hear the news. The fewer of these insipid bio musicals, the more space for shows like Water for Elephants, Boop, In the Heights, and Next to Normal. 

[+ purplekow]

2 hours ago, ApexNomad said:

 

 

 

There’s only one Dolly.

That may be true but then how do you explain her coming in third in a Dolly Parton look alike contest?

[Ali Gator]

From what I heard, MJ : The Musical didn't cover his legal troubles from the 90s - 2000s. That was the agreement the producers had with his estate in order to use his music on Broadway.  That's like doing a biopic drama on Nixon's life, and not covering Watergate. 

Another disappointment was 'Summer: The Donna Summer Musical' in 2018. One of the worst B'way shows I ever sat through (and I'm a huge Summer fan). They should have staged the autobiographical musical she wrote herself in the 90s called 'Ordinary Girl' - with the new music she wrote.