Dolly Parton is heading to Broadway — even as the country music legend continues to deal with the health issues that recently forced her off the stage.
The 80-year-old icon announced Tuesday that her life story is officially coming to New York City in Dolly: A True Original Musical, a major career move that comes just months after she gave fans what she called a “bad” health update.
Parton shared the news in an Instagram video, making it clear that the musical will go far beyond the rhinestones, big hair and superstar sparkle fans have known for decades.
“Now, this isn’t about a story about sparkle and shine on the outside,” Parton said in the announcement. “It’s about where I really come from, what I’ve lived, what I’ve lost, what I’ve loved and how I’ve found my way.”
The show will not feature Parton performing onstage, but it will be told in her “own words” and through the songs that have followed her through every chapter of her life.
The “9 to 5” singer also revealed that she is writing new music for the Broadway production, while some of her most beloved classics will be included as well.
“This really is a dream come true,” she said. “I can’t wait to share it with all of you.”
Dolly: A True Original Musical is being directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher and will begin previews in New York City this December. The show is set to officially open on Jan. 19, 2027 — Parton’s birthday.
Pre-sale ticket access begins Wednesday.
According to the musical’s website, the Broadway production will feature some of Parton’s biggest hits, including “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors.”
The musical first debuted in Nashville last year, but it has since gone through changes ahead of its big Broadway arrival.
Parton’s latest announcement comes after a difficult stretch for the beloved entertainer.
In May, she canceled her Dolly: Live in Las Vegas residency because of ongoing health problems. The six-show run had first been postponed last year before Parton later revealed she was still not ready to return to the stage.
“I have some good news and a little bad news,” she told fans in a social media video at the time. “The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day.”
But the “Here You Come Again” singer admitted the “bad news” was that it would “take a little while” before she was back to “stage performance level.”
Parton first went public with her health troubles in September 2025, when she pulled out of an appearance at Dollywood because of kidney stones.
The health scare came during an especially painful year for the star. Her husband, Carl Dean, died in March at age 82 after nearly 60 years of marriage.
Parton briefly stepped away from music to mourn the man she had spent most of her life loving.
Now, as she continues to heal, Parton is turning one of the most personal stories in country music history into a Broadway spectacle — not by performing it herself, but by letting her songs, memories and hard-earned truth take center stage.