Broadway remains the final frontier of Dolly Parton’s illustrious music career, and she fully intends to conquer it. The “Jolene” singer has been working on turning her life story into a musical for the better part of a decade. That, of course, begs the question: Who will play the Queen of Country herself? The role requires a heaping dose of sass mixed with self-awareness, and a whole lotta blonde. If that sounds exactly like Sabrina Carpenter, fans think so too—especially after her recent take on a Dolly classic.
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Watch Sabrina Carpenter Pay Tribute to Dolly in Nashville
Indisputably, 2024 was the year of the woman in pop music. Artists like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo and Ariana Grande ruled the streaming charts. And with hits like the buzzy “Espresso” from her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet, Sabrina Carpenter was inescapable last year.
The former Disney Channel star, now 25, certainly has the acting skills, big blonde hair and penchant for irreverent storytelling down when it comes to portraying Queen Dolly. And this cover of Dolly’s iconic hit “9 to 5,” during a Nashville stop along her Short n’ Sweet tour, proves she also has the vocal chops.
One TikTok user agreed, commenting on a video of the performance, “She should play Dolly on the Broadway musical of dollys life.”
Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t the first time this sentiment has surfaced on social media. “sabrina carpenter is the new dolly parton u cant change my mind,” one TikTok user wrote over a video montage of Carpenter’s Tiny Desk performance.
The similarities are certainly striking. And Carpenter has been known to play with genre, with Short n’ Sweet melding elements of country, disco, bubblegum, R&B and rock. Guess we’ll all just have to stay tuned.
“Hello, I’m Dolly” Hits Stages Next Year
While there’s no indication that Sabrina Carpenter will play the starring role, Dolly Parton has confirmed that her life story will hit Broadway in musical form sooner rather than later.
Dolly announced during last year’s CMA Fest that she will partner with ATG Productions to bring Hello, I’m Dolly to the stage in 2026.
Taking its title from Dolly’s 1976 studio debut, the show will take viewers on Parton’s journey from one-room cabin in the Appalachians to the Grand Ole Opry. There will, of course, be much singing, as Dolly has penned many original songs especially for the occasion.
“You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp, it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera,” Dolly said. “Pun and fun intended.”
Featured image by Sachyn Mital/Shutterstock
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