Dolly may not be having as big of a year as Taylor Swift or Beyonce, but between her upcoming album Rockstar and her new book Behind the Seams, it’s an exciting time to be a Dolly fan. (I have also heard that her Duncan Hines branded banana pudding cake mix is re-stocked at Wal-Mart but since I am allergic to bananas I can’t eat it.) Dolly’s always dreaming up new projects, and some of them take longer than expected, even for a powerhouse like Dolly. In an interview with USA Today, she announced that there’s going to be a Broadway show about her life that she’s been working on for twenty years! It was supposed to happen shortly before the pandemic and now it’s finally coming to fruition in the spring of 2025. And she also chatted about the Barbie movie–she’s a fan.
About her song Backwoods Barbie and the Barbie Movie: Well, Barbie was around long before I was (famous)! But with “Backwoods Barbie,” I thought, “Well, I am just a Backwoods Barbie: too much makeup, too much hair.” I was really happy when the “Barbie” movie did so good! I’ve always loved pink and the Barbie Doll, and that was a great little movie. So yeah, I’m still the Backwoods Barbie.
She’s been working on the upcoming musical for 20 years: I’m working on my life story as a musical on Broadway. I’ve written or chosen all the music that will go into it, and I’ve co-written the script too. So all my spare time, I’m spending on that. That’s been a dream of mine for years and years – at least 20 years I’ve been trying to put that together. I was just about to have it ready when COVID hit and Broadway shut down. Then I thought, “Well, maybe I’ll do it as a biopic,” and wrote up a script for that. But then I was like, “Nah, everybody’s doing a biopic! I’m going back to Broadway now that it’s open.” So I’m hoping to have my show (there) in spring of 2025. That’s my aim!
I’m sort of glad that Dolly didn’t end up doing her life story as a biopic. I simply can’t imagine anyone having the same charisma and sparkle that she has. And while I love Dolly’s music, some of her recent Netflix specials have been a little corny and Hallmark-y. I still watch them anyway because Dolly’s presence fills me with abiding joy. But there’s something about Dolly’s life story that seems better suited for Broadway than film. As for her comments about Barbie and the Barbie movie–I’m sure someone at Warner Brothers had the idea to get Dolly in there as a cameo. That would have been very cute and made for good brand synergy. I feel like Dolly, more than anyone else, really embodies the ideals that Barbie (the doll, not the movie character) is trying to embody: a hyper-feminine look with a successful career. For so many women, Dolly represents the alluring dream that you can dress as your authentic girly self, in pink and rhinestones, and still be taken seriously in the business world.
Photos credit: Tina Rowden/Netflix, Getty and via Instagram
I would watch/listen to the soundtrack of a Dolly Parton Broadway musical any day of the week.
Oh, Dolly, get a good editor and listen to the editor. Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol would have been much better if it was 30 minutes shorter
I love this!
I am currently reading her collab novel with James Patterson “Run, Rose, Run”, it`s about country singers and itś fabulous, there is even an additional album with songs that are talked about in the novel. The musical is probably gonna be fiyah. lol
Take my money, Dolly!
❤️