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Dolly Parton remained closely involved in bringing her life story to Broadway until shortly before her death, urging the creative team behind her autobiographical musical to continue with the production.
At Variety's "Business of Broadway" event on October 5, director Bartlett Sher, producer Adam Speers and actresses portraying the late country music legend recalled their experiences working with Parton on DOLLY: A True Original Musical.
Speers revealed that his final conversation with Parton took place approximately 10 days before she died on August 25, following a battle with cancer.
"The last conversation that Bart and I had with her, which was about 10 days before she passed," he recalled, "she was very open with us both: 'You've got to keep going! This is the show that I want to be on Broadway!'"
Parton personally oversaw the musical's development, including its 2025 premiere in Nashville. According to Carrie St. Louis, who will portray the singer during one stage of her life, Parton was deeply committed to the production.
"She was the first person in the building in the morning and the last person to leave," St. Louis said.
The actress added that Parton used breaks to speak individually with performers and would even join musicians who were playing guitar.
The musical follows Parton's journey from her childhood in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains to international fame, exploring aspects of her life that remained largely private. Katie Rose Clarke, another actress playing Parton, recalled how the singer opened up during rehearsals.
Clarke also remembered feeling nervous singing in front of the star, particularly after stumbling over the lyrics to "Jolene."
"'Sorry, Dolly!' [Imitates Dolly's voice] 'That's okay, you're doin' great!'" she recalled.
Sher revealed that Parton continued writing songs throughout her life, including "Mountain Girl," which became part of the production. He explained that she wrote a song every morning after praying and had a system for recording new material.
Speers said Parton once explained her motivation, telling him she wrote so that "every night when she went to bed, the world was a slightly different place for her being in it."
Parton's commitment to education also received renewed attention after a previously recorded video message from the singer was shown at the Country Music Association Foundation's Music Teachers of Excellence event on October 7, six weeks after her death.
"I've always believed that music brings people together. But none of that happens without dedicated teachers who encourage, inspire, and believe in the next generation," Parton said in the message.
Despite her passing, the musical will proceed as planned. Previews are scheduled to begin on December 7 at New York's St. James Theatre, with its official opening set for January 19, 2027, which would have been Parton's 81st birthday.
