Carrie St. Louis, Katie Rose Clarke and Norah Nunes appear in a new behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cast of DOLLY: A True Original Musical, telling the story of late legend Dolly Parton’s unparalleled life and career.

The three stars play Parton at various stages in the ate legend’s life. Nunes begins the production as Little Dolly, reflecting on Parton’s childhood in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. St. Louis tells the story of the singer-songwriter’s move to Nashville, and her performances on Porter Wagoner’s show (plus, the moment she met her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean). Clarke portrays Parton in the later years of her career, including her film and TV projects and more. DOLLY: A True Original Musical features some of the most beloved hits of Parton’s career, including “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” “I Will Always Love You,” and more. Parton worked with Maria S. Schlatter to write the music and lyrics, and with Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher to bring the autobiographical musical to life. The cast was “hand-picked by the worldwide icon herself.”

“I think that we need to hear the story of Dolly Parton more now than we ever have before,” Sher said in a recent behind-the-scenes clip shared on Instagram. That clip also included glimpses of John Behlmann, who plays Dean, and Gabriel Ebert, who plays Wagoner, in addition to the actresses playing Parton

St. Louis, who spoke with iHeartCountry last year about originating the role, hailed Parton an inspiration because of “her drive and her ambition.” Nunes said, “Above all else, she is kind and humble. Even though she’s you know, at the top of ht mountain, she helps people get up there, too.”

Parton announced her musical for the first time at the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest in June 2024. She debuted the show last year at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the summer, Parton announced her show would open on Broadway on her 81st birthday, on Tuesday, January 19, 2027 (preview performances begin on December 7). DOLLY: A True Original Musical will take place at St. James Theatre, located at 246 West 44th Street in New York City.

Parton “died peacefully” on August 25 in Nashville, according to an official announcement. She was 80. Parton’s representatives said in a statement to PEOPLE that day, “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.” Parton was laid to rest in a private service for immediate family beside Dean, who died in March 2025. He was 82. DOLLY: A True Original Musical was one of many active projects Parton was working on at the time of her passing.

“We are all coming together to do right by Dolly, and to share her story really well,” Clarke said in a behind-the-scenes clip. “She came from absolutely nothing. She built this huge life. …I think you get to see her heart in this show. Her heart is beautiful.”

Photos