Latest news with #Dolly:AnOriginalMusical
Miami Herald
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Dolly Parton says working helps to keep her ‘occupied' following husband's death
Dolly Parton is still learning how to live without her husband. The 79-year-old country music icon was married to Carl Dean for 58 years until his death on March 3 at the age of 82. His exact cause of death has not yet been publicly confirmed. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, published May 22, Parton opened up about the mixed emotions she has felt in the months since her husband passed away. 'I'm doing as well as one can after 60 years being with and loving somebody,' she told ET. 'I miss him… I was with him for so long.' While she says her husband 'did suffer a lot for the last few years' and a part of her is 'happy he's at peace and at rest,' Parton is still grappling with the fact that he's no longer with her. 'But then, of course, there's part of me that will miss him forever and long for him every day and for the rest of my life, I'm sure,' she explained to ET. On March 6, just a few days after her husband's death, Parton released her newest single, 'If You Hadn't Been There.' While talking to ET, she said she decided to release the song as a tribute to Dean. 'It's always hard to lose someone you love, but you do the best you can,' she says. 'And the fact that I've got my work has been probably the best blessing — that I've been involved in so many things.' Parton says her work is helping to keep her occupied 'instead of me just folding in on myself.' Aside from the release of her new song, Parton is gearing up for the world premiere of 'Dolly: An Original Musical,' which debuts July 18 at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts in Nashville, Tennessee. The musical will take fans 'on a journey through the life of this rhinestone in the rough,' per the show's official website. Earlier this year, Parton celebrated the 40th anniversary of her theme park, Dollywood. But for Parton, everything always comes back to music. 'I sing when I'm everywhere. I sing when I don't even know I'm singing,' she told ET before recalling a sweet memory about her husband. 'Carl used to say, 'Do you have to sing all the time?'' Parton remembered. 'I said, 'Well, I reckon I must. I didn't know I was singing!' Parton says she's always writing or practicing a song in her head. 'You know, I'm just made of music because I grew up in a musical family and I write all the time,' she continued. 'I'm always working on something, so that's just natural.' When Parton isn't writing a song, she's often cooking — and singing while she does it. That's why she's excited to partner with Conagra with the launch of her new line of Southern-inspired frozen, single-serve meals and sides. The meals are available today in grocery stores. 'I thought it was just a perfect thing to do,' she told ET of the partnership. 'I've thought for years I would love to eventually have a frozen food line with all the good foods I love,' she continued. She says the meals are perfect for bachelors, college students and people who live alone or don't have time to cook a hearty meal. As for how she would make the meals better, Parton says she's a huge fan of potatoes. 'Even though there's some potatoes in it, I would put some coleslaw or some mashed potatoes in addition to that,' she explained. 'I've served potatoes on potatoes on potatoes.' Parton says she even likes to dip her french fries in mashed potatoes. 'That's how much I love potatoes,' she jokes. The new product launch, which builds on her 2022 partnership with Conagra, includes a Beef Pot Roast, Chicken & Dumplings, Country Fried Steak and Shrimp & Grits.
Perth Now
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Dolly Parton thinks late husband Carl Dean would want her to keep going after his death
Dolly Parton admits her husband would "expect" her to keep going after his death. The 79-year-old music icon's beloved spouse Carl Dean died two months ago, and she has opened up about dealing with her grief in the weeks after his passing. She told E! News: "We were together 60 years - dated tow years, and then we married. I met him the first day I moved to Nashville when I was 18 years old. "So, it's been a lifetime - it's a hard one. But we move on, we work, and he'd expect that of me, and I'd expect that of myself. "I'll always love him, I do miss him though." She released new song 'If You Hadn't Been There' just days after her husband's death, reflecting on how much he meant to her. The track will be included in the upcoming autobiographical stage show 'Dolly: An Original Musical'. She added: "When Carl passed away, I just thought, I was in pieces, what can I do to do something for me and him, and the fans, to express what I was feeling?' "So that's the song that I put out, in honour of him. It's gonna be one of the favourite songs in the musical as well." admitted she still gets 'very emotional' when talking about him. Speaking on the 'Today' show, she said: 'Oh, you know what, I get very emotional when people bring it up. But we were together 60 years. I've loved him since I was 18 years old. 'It's a big adjustment just trying to change patterns and habits. I'll do fine, and I'm very involved in my work and that's been the best thing that could happen to me. But I'll always miss him, of course, and always love him. He was a great partner to me.' Dolly also joked she had no idea Car was 'so famous' as she thanked fans for the outpouring of love following his death. She quipped: 'I'm so thankful. I've gotten so many cards, letters, flowers, from all over the world. I had no idea Carl Dean was so famous.'
Axios
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Dolly Parton is teaming up with more students at Belmont University
Dolly Parton's one-of-a-kind partnership with Belmont University is expanding, giving more students hands-on experience in the music industry through explorations of her various projects. Why it matters: Students participating in the Dolly U program have already helped to develop Parton's autobiographical musical. Now, new courses coming this fall will offer opportunities to work on market research and a behind-the-scenes documentary about the production. State of play: Four courses will offer a window into Parton's world. Students will learn about documentary writing and editing in courses where they will develop a feature on the making of "Dolly: An Original Musical" using footage from Parton's management firm, CTK Enterprises. Others will study market research tied to the musical, which is opening later this year at Belmont before transferring to Broadway. Another course will focus on Parton's songwriting techniques. Zoom in: Nine Belmont students were selected for paid fellowships that will embed them directly in the musical's production team for a semester as the crew prepares for the Broadway run. What they're saying:"Building on the foundation laid this spring, the new fall curriculum continues to reflect Belmont's commitment to transformative, real-world learning that bridges classroom experience with industry practice," said Belmont administrator Sarah Cates, who oversees strategic initiatives and partnerships. "We're creating unparalleled opportunities for students to develop professional skills alongside one of music's most iconic figures as her impact continues to unfold on the Broadway stage." What's next: Parton's musical will premiere at Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, which is near International Market and Bongo Java. Performances begin July 18 and run through Aug. 17. Tickets are on sale now. The intrigue: The Nashville run is essentially a trial period for the musical. The production team, including the Dolly U fellows, will use audience feedback to make adjustments.
The Independent
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Dolly Parton musical suspended over homophobic abuse as star speaks out
The actors in a Dolly Parton-inspired musical have said they were forced to halt a performance in Manchester after an audience member allegedly expressed their 'disgust' over the inclusion of a gay character. Stevie Webb, who plays a super fan of the country music icon in the musical Here You Come Again, shared a TikTok in which he addressed the abuse he and his team are met with 'almost every week'. 'The amount of audience members we have had to eject from our show due to homophobia is insane,' he said. 'Just this week, in Manchester alone, last night we had to eject someone who was shouting out slurs. 'On Wednesday (5 February), we had to stop the whole show… leave the stage, because a woman was so disgusted that there was a gay character onstage.' Webb said there was a 'massive ruckus' during the performance as the rest of the audience began to shout at the woman, forcing them to take a 15-minute break. 'This is a Dolly Parton musical!' he continued. 'It's just me and [an actor playing] Dolly Parton onstage, my character and Dolly Parton.' Here You Come Again, directed by Gabriel Barre, is a musical comedy that features Parton's character as a fairy godmother giving life lessons in song to a fan going through difficult times. Webb said that London had been the worst experience, as he recalled a man who allegedly shouted the F-slur during one performance, complaining that he 'just wanted to see Dolly Parton'. 'It's really opened my eyes, because we're in such a bubble in this industry, but travelling the country and seeing how many people literally cannot bear to see a gay person depicted onstage, it's wild,' Webb said. 'I feel very sorry for them.' Webb urged potential audience members to read the synopsis of the production, as well as reminding themselves of the fact that 'it's a Dolly Parton musical'. Parton is renowned for her longtime support of the LGBT+ community, and is considered by many to be the 'original gay icon'. She declared her support for gay marriage in 2014. ATG Entertainment, which runs the Opera House in Manchester where one of the incidents took place, told the BBC that it has a 'zero tolerance' approach to such behaviour. The Opera House said these incidents were rare and that anyone engaging in abusive behaviour would be removed immediately. Parton announced the world premiere of her own music, Dolly: An Original Musical, last month, telling fans that it would have its first production in her home state of Tennessee. Parton, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, continued: 'I've outlived so many plastic surgeons. But I actually have always wanted to do my life story as a musical. 'And I just thought that I wanted to see it done while I'm still around, to be able to oversee it and make sure that it's done properly in a way that I would want to see it, rather than to wait 'til I'm gone and let somebody else decide how they think it should be done.'
Axios
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Dolly Parton's Broadway-bound musical will have its world premiere this summer in Nashville
Before Dolly Parton takes her life story to Broadway, she's making a pit stop in Music City. Driving the news: Parton's "Dolly: An Original Musical" will have its world premiere this summer at Belmont University's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The hometown run begins July 18 with performances through Aug. 17. Tickets starting at $40 are on sale now. Why it matters: Feedback from Nashville audiences will help shape the show before it heads to Broadway in 2026. Belmont students are getting experience with the Tony-winning creative team as they fine-tune the show. What she's saying:"It just seemed natural and right for me to be able to premiere the story of my life in Tennessee because I'm Tennessee born and Tennessee raised," Parton said Tuesday while announcing the premiere. State of play: The musical will tell Parton's "rags to rhinestones" life story. Parton says it will capture "the prices that you have to pay, the miles that you have to travel and the sacrifices that you make" on the road to stardom. "Everybody thinks it's all glamorous and glory and money and fame, but there's so much more to a life." The musical will feature gems from Parton's sprawling catalog of hits, such as "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You." But she's also writing new material to capture the dramatic arc of the story. The musical's director, Tony-winner Bartlett Sher, teased one of Parton's new compositions, "God, Sex and Music" as his favorite in the show. Zoom in: Belmont is making the most of this partnership. The university launched a program called Dolly U that will allow students to work with and learn from the professionals bringing Parton's musical to the stage. An early crop of students has already helped with workshop productions of the show. More than 100 are participating now, and Belmont plans to keep the program going through other collaborations with Parton. Between the lines: Broadway shows can take years to produce, and shows often evolve considerably during production. "Out-of-town tryouts," like this run in Nashville, give the creative team a chance to see the show performed in front of a crowd. Changes are typical as writers and actors determine what works and what doesn't. The intrigue: It's a dynamic process that will be catnip for theater lovers who want to see how the sausage is made. Songs might get scrapped, retooled or moved around. New songs or dialogue might get written. "If you see it in the first week, it's going to be different than if you see it in the second week because we're going to be making changes every day," Sher said. The bottom line:"It's so different than country music or the world that I live in," Parton said. "I really have come to admire and respect the great talents that really get up there and do this."
