Dolly Parton News

Dolly posted a heartfelt video diary today about the recent passing of Michael Jackson. On his passing, she said “He really was a true musical genius and a fantastic performer and really sweet, sweet soul. I always thought Michael had the heart of an angel and I’m sure that he’s rejoicing with them now.” Watch Dolly’s full comments in the player above. Michael Jackson fans can leave their memories of the late singer at his official website.

Dolly will be signing autographs this Monday (June 15th) for her new children’s book I Am A Rainbow as well as her Backwoods Barbie CD. She will begin signing autographs at 10 AM at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum Store in Nashville, Tennessee. Official guidelines for the signing are as follows:

• The Museum Store will open early on Monday, June 15th at 8:00 a.m. (central).

• Dolly Parton will sign a limited number of autographs.

• An autograph voucher is required to participate in the signing.

• Autograph vouchers will be available on property starting at 8:00 a.m. (central) on Monday, June 15th, 2009 with the purchase of Dolly Parton’s newest CD, “Backwoods Barbie”, or children’s book, I Am a Rainbow from the Museum Store.

• No person is guaranteed an autograph voucher, which will be given out on a first-come, first served basis.

• Only one (1) autograph voucher per person.

• Dolly Parton will sign a maximum of two items, which must be Dolly Parton’s newest release, “Backwoods Barbie”, or children’s book, I Am a Rainbow purchased in the Museum Store.

• Dolly Parton will not autograph personal items.

• Only photography from the line is allowed.

• We ask that visitors abide by these guidelines, to ensure that as many as possible can participate in the signing and meet Ms. Parton.

Dolly was officially confirmed this week to be one of the performers on this year’s Tony Awards where she will be performing “9 To 5″ with the cast of 9 To 5: The Musical. Other performers will include Elton John and Poison. Dolly is nominated for Best Original Score for writing the music and lyrics to 9 To 5: The Musical. The 2009 Tony Awards will air live this Sunday, June 7th, at 8 PM EST on CBS.

Dolly also made an appearance today on The Early Show to discuss her nomination and upcoming Tony performance. Read the article from CBS News and watch the full interview in the player below.

Lastly, for fans who missed Dolly’s original appearance on 60 Minutes, CBS will be re-airing the episode this Sunday before the Tony Awards. Check your local listings for air times!

Fans can watch Dolly receive her honorary doctorate from the University of Tennessee live on the web today starting at 9 AM EST by visiting this link. Dolly told the Knoxville News Sentinel that the focus of her speech will be on ‘dreams’, saying “I’ll talk about how I, as a young girl, had some dreams and made them come true. There’s a difference between wishes and dreams. I want to sort of define the difference for them. I want to give them some helpful hints.”

Then don’t forget to watch Dolly again when the 24th Annual Dolly Parton Parade is broadcast live from Pigeon Forge on Smokies.tv starting at 6 PM EST. Dolly will also be making various appearances in Dollywood on Saturday to promote her new musical “Sha-Kon-O-Hey!”.

9 To 5: The Musical has received four Tony award nominations! Dolly was nominated for Best Original Score for writing the music and lyrics for the musical. Allison Janney received a nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Mark Kudisch got one for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, and Andy Blankenbuehler is nominated for Best Choreography. The Tony Awards will air live on CBS June 7th from Radio City Music Hall. Dolly gives her reaction to her Tony nomination in her latest video blog here:

Tickets to 9 To 5: The Musical are available now from Ticket Master.

Dolly is the featured cover story of this week’s issue of Country Weekly, available on newsstands now. In the article, Dolly discusses her close personal relationships with husband Carl Dean and best friend Judy Ogle saying “I believe with all of my heart that God puts people together for whatever his reasons are. And I’m just thankful for it. I believe it and I’m gonna believe it from now on.” Dolly also talks about her new 9 To 5 Broadway musical and the world’s current economic troubles saying “This show really is uplifting and it’s a perfect show for the times. Because people are always gonna be workin’, they’re gonna always despise their boss, no matter who it is. And so there’s always going to be that element.” Read the full online version of the article on the Country Weekly website and get the full issue on newsstands now.

After four years in the making, Dolly’s 9 To 5: The Musical officially opened on Broadway last night! The movie’s original costars, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, were in attendance along with a slew of other celebrities. Dolly came out on stage at the end of the curtain call to great the audience and mark the official opening night. Complete photo coverage is available from BroadwayWorld and BroadwaySpace.

Reviews of the show are also pouring in. Check out just a handful of them:

Broadway.com
New York Times
USA Today
Reuters
Chicago Tribune
NY Daily News
New York Post
PhillyBurbs.com
Wall Street Journal
Variety
Entertainment Weekly
Bloomberg
Backstage
NewsDay
NY1
ITN

Check out coverage from Entertainment Tonight in the player below as they interview Dolly, Jane, Lily and the cast about the opening night!

9 To 5 has also received a record-breaking 15 Drama Desk Award nominations, the most for any show to ever receive in a single season. Winners will be announced May 17th during a ceremony at the F.H. LaGuardia Concert Hall. The full nominations are as follows:

Outstanding Musical

Oustanding Actress in a Musical:
Stephanie J. Block
Megan Hilty
Allison Janney

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical:
Marc Kudisch

Outstanding Director of a Musical:
Joe Mantello

Outstanding Choreography:
Andy Blankenbuehler

Outstanding Music:
Dolly Parton

Outstanding Lyrics:
Dolly Parton

Outstanding Book of a Musical:
Patricia Resnick

Outstanding Orchestrations:
Bruce Coughlin

Outstanding Set Design of a Musical:
Scott Pask

Outstanding Costume Design:
William Ivey Long

Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical:
Jules Fisher and Kenneth Posner

Outstanding Sound Design:
John H. Shivers

Finally, enjoy this clip of the cast performing “Shine Like The Sun” from today’s appearance on The View:

Tickets for 9 To 5: The Musical are available now via Ticket Master.

Watch Dolly’s full performance of “Backwoods Barbie” from her recent appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman in the player above!