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Casting call! After 20 years in the making, everything is finally coming up Dolly on Broadway. Our little sparrow has been hands-on in developing a musical about her life, penning original songs and co-writing the book (theater-speak for the script), and now it’s time to cast the players. Dolly announced last week on her Instagram (dressed in head-to-toe champagne-colored sequins) that video submissions are currently being accepted to fill roles throughout many stages of her life. And in a move that is so fitting to Dolly’s generous, gracious personality, the production has made a point of emphasizing that they want to hear from (as-yet) undiscovered talent. Then in the new year, the actors whose rhinestones sparkled just a little brighter will be invited to audition in person. All right, bitches, who among us is gonna enter the #SearchForDolly?!
Dolly Parton needs help finding Dolly Parton.
The iconic country star shared Thursday that casting has begun for a forthcoming Broadway show about her life, “Dolly: An Original Musical.”
“Now I’m announcing the search for Dolly,” Parton said in a video. “Whether you’re chasing your dreams from a small town or you’ve spent years performing on stages across the country, I want to give you a chance to help me bring my story to Broadway and maybe even play me.”
According to the show’s site, they are “searching for performers of all ages to portray Dolly at different stages of her incredible life.”
“This is your chance to bring your brand of rhinestone sparkle to the role of a lifetime,” the site states. “Ready to step into the high heels of a legend?”
In her announcement video, Parton, 78, said, “This show is a celebration of my music, my life and all the amazing people who’ve been with me along the way.”
“We’re looking for talented performers who can capture the spirit of my journey, whether you’re an experienced theater professional or an undiscovered gem with that little special something,” she said.
Parton said a select few will get to audition in person for the show’s casting director. Applications can be submitted at the show’s site.
“Dolly: An Original Musical” will include music and lyrics written by Parton, with a book by the star and Maria S. Schlatter. Bartlett Sher is listed on the musical’s site as the director.
Bartlett Sher is directing?! That is yet another faux-ostrich feather in Dolly’s cap. Bartlett Sher is booked and busy, directing everything from classic musical theater revivals (My Fair Lady, South Pacific, The King and I) to new dramas (Oslo, Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird). I am extra intrigued now to see how his and Dolly’s sensibilities match up and play out. In fact, the only thing I’m not excited about with this show is the name change — six months ago it was called Hello, I’m Dolly, both the title of her first album and a fun wordplay on the musical Hello, Dolly! By contrast, Dolly: An Original Musical is a very unoriginal name, in my humble opinion.
There’s no set opening date yet, just “coming soon” in 2025, so if you need an immediate Dolly fix she has a few books out. One is a cookbook she wrote with her sister, Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals, and the other is a children’s Christmas book. Inspired by her French bulldog Billy the Kid, as well as Dolly’s own practice of being home with family for every Christmas, Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas follows a singing pup who must decide between making it home for the holiday or taking a gig at “the Barcafella Center.” She had me at bulldog.
Have a Holly Dolly Xmas to those who celebrate! And let us know if you audition!!