Sutton Foster to Star as Loretta Lynn in ‘Coal Miner's Daughter' Stage Musical
Broadway favorite Sutton Foster will portray the late country music icon Loretta Lynn in the upcoming stage adaptation of 'Coal Miner's Daughter.'
Sam Gold, the Tony-winning 'Fun Home' director, is developing the musical about the life and times of Lynn, who overcame humble beginnings in Kentucky's coal fields to become a pioneering country music star. One of the first women to rise to stardom as a country vocalist, Lynn sold over 45 million records worldwide and won multiple Grammy and Country Music awards. The singer and songwriter of such hits as 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' 'You Ain't Woman Enough' and 'The Pill' was honored in 2013 with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. She died in 2022 at the age of 90.
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Based on the Oscar-nominated 1980 film and Lynn's best-selling 1976 autobiography (co-authored by George Vecsey) of the same name, the stage show will include songs from Lynn's career as well as stories from her life beyond the movie's ending. Sissy Spacek won the Academy Award for memorably portraying Lynn in 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' which landed six other nods in addition to scoring at the box office.
Lynn's manager, producer and daughter Patsy Lynn, as well as her longtime adviser Nancy Russell will act as consulting producers on the stage show. Jeanine Tesori, who worked with Gold on 'Fun Home,' is handling music production. The producing team on 'Coal Miner's Daughter' includes Broadway veterans Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini and ATG Entertainment.
Lynn's family called the musical 'one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about' and revealed their matriarch had approved of Foster's casting before her death.
'We are so grateful to see that our mother's life story and music will continue to touch the hearts of audiences and remain an important statement of the American dream,' Lynn's family said in a statement. 'As one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about, we are thankful that she had the opportunity to experience the initial stages of Sutton's sincere portrayal of Loretta. Mom absolutely fell in love with her and thought she was just the right person to play her onstage. The family is moved by this incredible team's commitment to her legacy.'
Foster has been booked and busy on Broadway, starring in revivals of 'Once Upon a Mattress' as Princess Winnifred, 'Sweeney Todd' as Mrs. Lovett and 'The Music Man' as Marian Paroo opposite Hugh Jackman's Harold Hill. A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Foster has taken home best actress wins for 'Anything Goes' and 'Thoroughly Modern Millie.'
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