Dolly Parton's Broadway Musical Unveils Five Actors She Chose to Star in the Upcoming Show | Just Jared

Dolly Parton was working on her upcoming Broadway musical when she tragically passed away this summer and she was able to handpick the stars of the show before she died.

DOLLY: A True Original Musical will begin performances on Broadway on December 7 and the official opening night performance is set to take place on what would have been Dolly‘s 81st birthday, January 19, 2027.

The original show, which tells the story of her life, features music by Parton that includes some of her iconic hits as well as new songs she wrote especially for the musical.

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Katie Rose Clarke will play Dolly Parton

Three actresses will portray Dolly throughout the show, with Katie Rose Clarke taking on the later version of the singer.

Katie made her Broadway debut 20 years ago in the musical The Light in the Piazza and went on to star as Glinda in Wicked, Ellen in Miss Saigon, and most recently, Beth in the acclaimed revival of Merrily We Roll Along, which you can watch now on Netflix.

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Carrie St. Louis to play middle Dolly, Gabriel Ebert to play Porter Wagoner

Carrie St. Louis will play the middle version of Dolly during the period of her life when she was trying to make her break in the Nashville music scene.

Carrie also has played Glinda in Wicked and her credits also include the musicals Just in Time, Kinky Boots, and Rock of Ages.

Gabriel Ebert will play the role of Porter Wagoner, the larger-than-life country music star who first introduced Parton to a national television audience.

Gabriel won a Tony Award for his performance in Matilda The Musical and his credits also include John Proctor is the Villain, Pass Over, and more.

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John Behlmann will play Carl Dean

John Behlmann will take on the role of Dolly’s longtime love Carl Dean.

He’s best known for starring in musicals like Tootsie, Shucked, Smash, and The Great Gatsby.

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Newcomer Norah Nunes will play Little Dolly

11-year-old Norah Nunes, who was one of the finalists of the “Search for Dolly” online open casting call, will play Little Dolly. This will be her Broadway debut.

Tickets are on sale to the general public at dollymusical.com, with the initial on-sale running through Sunday, November 21, 2027.

Posted To:Broadway Carrie St. Louis Dolly Parton Gabriel Ebert John Behlmann Katie Rose Clarke Norah Nunes