Dolly Parton chose three actresses to tell her story on Broadway, and DOLLY: A TRUE ORIGINAL MUSICAL has now named its leading cast ahead of its winter debut.
“We are all coming together to do right by Dolly and to share her story really well,” actress Katie Rose Clarke, who will portray Parton in the later chapters of her life, said in a behind-the-scenes video shared by PEOPLE.
Clarke won’t have to carry every chapter alone. Actress Carrie St. Louis will play Dolly during her early Nashville years, when the ambitious singer-songwriter was trying to break into country music, while 11-year-old actress Norah Nunes will play Little Dolly during her Smoky Mountains childhood.
Parton personally selected all five principal performers before her death in August, PEOPLE reported. Actor John Behlmann will portray her husband, Carl Dean, and Tony Award-winning actor Gabriel Ebert will play Porter Wagoner, the country star who helped introduce her to a national television audience.
The casting brings familiar faces back while making room for a new one. According to Playbill’s Oct. 2 announcement, Clarke, St. Louis and Behlmann return from the musical’s 2025 Nashville production, while Ebert joins for the Broadway engagement.
Related: Dolly Parton, Faith-Filled Country Icon and Movieguide® Award Winner, Dies at 80
Nunes was part of the Nashville company, too, but she now steps into the childhood role for her Broadway debut. She was a finalist in the nationwide Search for Dolly open casting call and previously played Young Anna in the North American tour of FROZEN.
“Above all else, she is kind and humble,” Nunes said of Parton in PEOPLE’s coverage. “Even though she’s at the top of the mountain, she helps people get up there too.”
For Clarke, the role also means another collaboration with Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher. He directed her Broadway debut in THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA in 2005; her later credits include Glinda in WICKED and Beth Shepard in the revival of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.
The Broadway production has not opened yet. Previews are scheduled to begin Dec. 7, 2026, at New York City’s St. James Theatre, followed by an official opening Jan. 19, 2027, on what would have been Parton’s 81st birthday.
Parton co-wrote the musical’s book with writer Maria S. Schlatter and created new songs for the production alongside favorites including “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5.” Sher directs, with choreographer Mandy Moore handling the dances.
Families should check the production’s age guidance before planning a visit. Producers advise that the musical may be inappropriate for children ages 8 and under; the casting announcement is not a review or an assurance that every family will find the material suitable.
“If Dolly’s legacy is anything, it involves joy,” Ebert said in PEOPLE’s coverage. “I think Dolly Parton is one of our best examples that the right road is the high road — and you can walk it in 4-inch heels.”
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