Dolly: An Original Musical Premieres Worldwide at Belmont's Fisher Center

Courtesy Of the Dolly Musical Website

Belmont's Fisher Center for the Performing Arts gleamed in a glamorous pink hue for the Friday night premiere of Dolly: A True Original Musical. 

A merchandise bus with the musical's logo inscribed on its exterior and the fountains outside of the Fisher Center bore a hot pink, foreshadowing the environment that was brought to life inside the building. 

People gravitated to the right of the lobby, where a pop-up Dolly! All Access Museum and storefronts were assembled.  

The outside resembled an old wooden cabin with a tin roof, and old black and white pictures of Parton and her loved ones hung on either side of the door frame. 

A step to the other side of the door was a transition to an electric memoir of some of Dolly's iconic wardrobe pieces, awards, merchandise and an Imagination Library for children to write notes to Dolly.  

After getting their fill of the Dollyfied space, families and friends shuffled their cowboy boots to their seats, where they sat with anticipation for the lights to dim.  

The talkative crowd fell into complete silence as the music playing in the Fisher Center was turned down and the room went dark. 

Everyone held their breath for a few moments until a sparkling gold light emerged from the stage's wings, queuing in a roar of applause. 

Dolly Parton made her way to center stage in a gold-sequined jumpsuit, casting a shimmery glow onto the excited audience. 

With her was Bartlett Sher, the director of the musical.  

"This has been my dream for a long time," said Parton.  

She spoke about her first visit to New York City for a high school class trip during the time of the 1964 musical Hello, Dolly!, which inspired her to have a musical of her own one day.  

Parton and Sher shared that this was the third time the musical had ever been run on stage, and that this was the first public audience to see the performance.  

Sher advised the audience that the show would feature several familiar songs and asked them not to sing along.  

"This isn't no hootenanny, this is a musical!" said Parton.  

Audience members were asked to refrain from taking photos or videos during the performance. 

Sher and Parton returned to the wings, leaving the stage in a simple setup with a vanity, rack of costumes, a vintage changing screen, and a mannequin.  

From the start, it was clear that the musical would be a genuine depiction of Dolly's story and how different people in her life play an integral part in her character's growth. 

The musical offers context for how Parton began writing and singing and where the butterfly often pictured next to her name originated. 

Three different actresses portrayed Dolly at key stages in her life: Quinn Titcomb as Little Dolly, Carrie St. Louis as Dolly, and Katie Rose Clarke as Dolly Parton.  

Each version of Parton has a consistent presence throughout the musical, helping her discover and remember who she is during moments of uncertainty or struggle.  

With the growth of her character came visual growth in detail on stage.  

From Parton's childhood home in the mountains, to the bright lights of Nashville's Music Row to the humming glow of television and Hollywood, the story takes on a bolder and busier look as she grows up. 

The intentional use of lighting, colors, and costume made these pivotal moments in Parton's story even more tangible to the audience.  

The set of Parton's Smoky Mountain home was filled with darker colors, which helped to visualize her struggles with poverty, bullying, and loss.  

As Parton's name as an artist grew bigger throughout the musical, the expanding glow of neon lights translated into the overwhelming lifestyle that comes with fame. 

Fast-paced scenes of flashy paparazzi encounters, and bright light shows during her performances painted a picture of her busy life when she moved to Hollywood.  

Some of the most impactful moments of Parton's story are told when she transitions from her career as a singer on the Porter Wagoner show to taking on her career as a solo artist. 

Clarke boasted a spot-on impression of Parton's hit song "Jolene," which queued a moment of powerful character growth in her character at the beginning of the second act.  

From then on, Dolly becomes Dolly Parton, an international film and music star. 

The musical explores the difference between self-satisfaction and directionless growth as Parton rose to superstardom, with themes of grappling between the life she built for herself as an artist and her life as her own person.  

Dolly: A True Original Musical lived up to its name, recounting the life story of Dolly Parton and her career while staying true to her message of love and self-sacrifice. 

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This article was written by Georgina America