Key Points

"I have a lot of mixed emotions about the whole thing. It was very emotional, you know, just to watch the whole thing," she said, adding, "When it started, I'd cry some, and then I'd laugh some, and I think, 'Oh, my Lord, why did I do that?' Or just, 'How did I ever have the time to do all that?' So you have a lot of mixed emotions and have thoughts about every part of it," reported People.

The show is set to premiere on Broadway in New York City in 2026.

"I wrote a lot of the original songs, in addition to the fact that we will be using the hit songs that people know, telling the stories and the timeline and when they're recorded," she said. "But actually, I've been working on it for years, and it does feel good to finally have it almost here."

Fans can expect music new and old and a look at some of the most pivotal moments in Parton's career, but not necessarily in a linear timeline, reported People.

"It's got a lot of good country music in it, lot of good country stories, but it also has a lot of the big orchestration, all the things that I've always dreamed about having my songs and stories on stage and telling my life story. I waited for a while till I was this old so I could tell it so, so I could tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth -- So, help me, Lord!"

She continued, "That's why it's so hard to put a show together, you can't just tell it like it is and how it happened at that time. You have to kind of weave it around, make sure you get the story right, but that everything works for the sets and all the changes of clothes. I never knew so many things were involved in putting a Broadway show together. But I'm excited about it, and I'm anxious to see it myself."

Parton, however, will not be performing in the show herself. She'll be enjoying a much deserved break once Dolly hits production.

"I'm going to be tied up here in Nashville all summer, working on [the musical] until through August, for sure," she says. "And then once I catch my breath, I don't know what I'm going to do, probably just catch my breath. Take a breather," reported People.

- ANI