Entertainment·NewDolly Parton's rags-to-riches life has been fodder for her songwriting, a theme park, a podcast and now a musical that's coming to Broadway later this year.Show promises to recount the songwriter's life, will feature hits such as Jolene, 9 to 5Helen Surgenor · CBC News · Posted: Jul 08, 2026 1:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Dolly Parton performs during a NCAA college football game on Nov. 18, 2023, in Knoxville, Tenn. Performances of DOLLY: A True Original Musical start in New York City in December. (Wade Payne/The Associated Press)Dolly Parton's rags-to-riches life has been fodder for her songwriting, a theme park, a podcast and now a musical that's coming to Broadway later this year. DOLLY: A True Original Musical promises to share a story "that only Dolly can tell in her own words and through the songs that shaped her life."In a video announcing that the musical is coming to Broadway, Parton, 80, promised all the details will be true. "Now, this isn't about a story about sparkle and shine on the outside," she said. "It's about where I really come from, what I've lived, what I've lost, what I've loved, and how I found my way." The musical promises to include new songs written just for the show, as well as some of the star's biggest hits, including:I Will Always Love YouJoleneCoat of Many Colors9 to 5Performances are set to begin in New York City on Dec. 7 this year, and are scheduled to run until Nov. 21, 2027.Dolly Parton speaks out about health concerns: 'I ain't dead yet'Q‘We lose so many great artists’: Caissie Levy wants Broadway to better support its working parents"This is really a dream come true," said Parton, whose career is near its seventh decade. Parton, who has written more than 3,000 songs, has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is an inductee into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.Parton, seen performing at the 2022 South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, says the musical is about 'where I really come from, what I've lived ... and how I found my way.' (Jack Plunkett/Invision/The Associated Press)DOLLY the musical had its world premiere in Nashville last summer. The six-week run at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts was sold out. In a statement, the show's director Bartlett Sher said he "was overwhelmed by the deep connection audiences have with Dolly. You mention her name and people light up and share a time that she has inspired them and brought them joy."The statement promises this show allows Parton to reveal her unfiltered story in a way she's never done before, because "rhinestones were never her whole story."Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, July 10.ABOUT THE AUTHORHelen Surgenor is a producer for CBC News based in Toronto, currently working for the entertainment unit. She spent years waking up before dawn to make the daily news podcast World Report. She has reported in Alberta, Iqaluit and Barbados. You can reach her at helen.surgenor@cbc.ca.