Will Carrie Underwood Play Dolly Parton on Broadway? Watch Dolly Pitch the Idea to Carrie Nearly 15 Years Ago

At 78 years old, you would think Dolly Parton had checked every item off her bucket list. Forty-two Top 10 country albums, 26 Billboard country chart-toppers, an entire theme park dedicated to her likeness.

However, the country-and-western legend has one major goal left to tackle: telling her story on a Broadway stage. After years of teasing a Broadway musical about her life, Parton finally announced the project is underway. Hello, I’m Dolly—An Original Musical is officially in development.

Now just one question remains: who has the proper endowments to take on Dolly as a character? The “Jolene” singer has a couple of names in mind, including a former American Idol winner and country superstar.

Dolly Parton Thinks Carrie Underwood Could Do the Job

Could Carrie Underwood become Dolly Parton? The season 4 winner of American Idol certainly has the blonde hair, the vocal prowess and the melodic twang down. She also has Parton’s seal of approval. The “Coat of Many Colors” singer told Underwood back in 2009 that she had faith in her ability to do the job—of course, with some slight attire alterations, as Dolly highlighted.

Parton has not revealed a time frame for the development of Hello, I’m Dolly, although she previously told People that she hopes to see it hit New York by spring of 2025. Underwood is currently in the midst of REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency, although it is currently set to wrap up this October.

This Broadway Star Has Called Dolly Her “Dream Role”

If the “Before He Cheats” singer isn’t available, Kristin Chenoweth is high on the Queen of Country’s list. Dolly Parton has voiced her support for the actor-turned-country singer since 2009.

For her part, the Wicked actress is chomping at the bit to fill Parton’s rhinestone-covered boots. She does have her reservations though, telling Jay Leno in a 2022 interview, “I’m lacking a couple of things and we both know what they are.”

Even without those key components, the Tony winner remains eager. “Dolly, hurry up! I’m ready!” she said during the interview.

“I  love Kristin Chenoweth. She’s just absolutely fantastic,” Parton told Marie Claire in 2020.

The GRAMMY winner continued, “Years and years ago, when I was going to do the Broadway musical—I never can get it to how I want it, but I’m still working on it. But I thought she’d be an ideal person to do that.”