Dolly Parton’s theatre legacy remembered by Kristin Chenoweth and Jinkx Monsoon
Theatre artists are remembering Dolly Parton after the songwriter and Broadway composer died peacefully in Nashville on 25 August 2026, aged 80. Her death brings a personal dimension to the forthcoming Broadway season of DOLLY: A TRUE ORIGINAL MUSICAL, an autobiographical show built around songs from her career and new music she wrote for the stage.
Parton’s official website announced her death and carried a family invitation for fans and friends to share remembrances on social media, including by tagging her official account. The official notice did not give a cause of death. The invitation established a clear channel for public remembrance, while tributes documented by independent outlets gave the theatre community a direct voice in it.
One independently documented response came from Kristin Chenoweth. The Associated Press reported that Chenoweth identified Parton as a defining inspiration, recalled the familial warmth Parton showed her and referred to their collaboration on one of Chenoweth’s records. The recording connection gave the remembrance a specific professional context alongside Chenoweth’s account of Parton’s personal kindness.
Jinkx Monsoon also paid tribute. GCN independently reported that Monsoon described Parton as the first queen Monsoon had revered and marked her death with a rest-in-power message. Together, the two accounts present Parton’s influence through individual memories rather than a general survey of her career.
Parton’s established Broadway authorship gives those memories a clear theatrical context. She wrote the music and lyrics for 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, which opened on Broadway in 2009 with Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block and Megan Hilty in the cast. Playbill records Hilty as the original Broadway Doralee Rhodes. The production directly connected Parton’s songwriting with the artists who introduced her score to Broadway audiences.
That stage legacy now extends to DOLLY: A TRUE ORIGINAL MUSICAL. The official production describes it as Parton’s life story, told through established songs and new music she wrote for the stage. Its announced song list includes I Will Always Love You, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and 9 to 5.
Parton wrote the book with Maria S. Schlatter, and Bartlett Sher is directing. The musical received its world-premiere engagement at Belmont University’s Fisher Center in Nashville in 2025. For that engagement, official advance information scheduled previews from 18 July, an 8 August opening and a final performance on 17 August. The production then carried the earlier title DOLLY: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL; current official sources use DOLLY: A TRUE ORIGINAL MUSICAL.
Following Parton’s death, her official team confirmed on 26 August that the Broadway production remained on course. The Associated Press identified the St. James Theatre as its venue and reported the producers’ statement that the musical would proceed in accordance with Parton’s wishes. That confirmation makes the Broadway engagement a posthumous continuation of a project Parton helped create and shape.
Some details remain unannounced. The official production materials reviewed for this report do not identify the Broadway cast. Nor has any dedication, memorial sequence, recorded Parton appearance or other posthumous revision been announced. The decision to proceed should therefore not be read as confirmation that the production will incorporate a separate memorial element.
AussieTheatre has previously reported the production’s continuation, including its schedule and Nashville development. The independently documented tributes form a distinct development, placing responses from theatre artists reflecting personal admiration or professional connection alongside the practical Broadway update.
Separately, Parton’s estate announced Dollyfest on 31 August 2026 for Nashville and London in 2027. Specific dates and participating artists have not been announced, and the event is not part of the Broadway production. The musical’s next confirmed milestone is previews at the St. James Theatre from 7 December 2026, followed by opening night on 19 January 2027. The official update said tickets were then on sale for performances through 21 November 2027.
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