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Dolly Parton's autobiographical Broadway musical unveils its stars

Adam Tamburin

Three-panel portrait: left a young girl with curly red hair and freckles in a colorful crochet dress; center a blonde with blue eyes in a denim shirt; right a woman with light brown hair and hoop earrings. — The three actresses who will portray Dolly Parton on Broadway: Norah Nunes, Carrie St. Louis and Katie Rose Clarke. Photos: Courtesy of "DOLLY: A True Original Musical"

The three actors who will play Dolly Parton in her autobiographical musical coming to Broadway in December were announced Friday.

Why it matters: Parton hand-picked the leads for the musical before she died in August. The show, which features Parton's music and a script she co-wrote, is certain to become a nightly tribute to the icon's astonishing life story.

How it works: The three actresses playing Parton will portray her at different points in life.

🎭 State of play: Katie Rose Clarke tops the bill playing Parton as the established superstar.

Carrie St. Louis will capture Parton's journey to Nashville and her early days with "The Porter Wagoner Show."
Norah Nunes, who was an open casting call finalist, will play "Little Dolly," capturing Parton's childhood in the Smokies.

Zoom out: Grammy nominee John Behlmann will play Parton's beloved husband Carl Dean. Tony winner Gabriel Ebert will play Wagoner, her champion and sparring partner in the early days of her career.

Flashback: Clarke, St. Louis and Behlmann played their roles during a 2025 test run of the musical in Nashville.

What's next: "DOLLY: A True Original Musical" will begin performances in New York on Dec. 7.

The official opening night will be on Jan. 19, which would have been Parton's 81st birthday.

Tickets are available now.

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Dolly Parton's autobiographical Broadway musical unveils its stars

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