Part 5
Instead, let’s talk about something she did mention: the 9 to 5 musical national tour. It’s opening in Nashville at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in September. Dolly will be at the big opening, and she says she may show up here and there. That’s not a promise—it’s a wink. But if you’re anywhere near Nashville in September, you might want to keep your eyes open. The tour then goes to Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, and runs all year. So even if you can’t make the Nashville opening, you’ve got options.
The 9 to 5 musical is based on the 1980 film that starred Dolly, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin. Directed by Colin Higgins, it’s a comedy about three women who turn the tables on their sexist boss. The stage version has music and lyrics by Dolly herself, including the iconic title song. It’s a crowd-pleaser, a feminist rallying cry, and a reminder that Dolly’s songwriting has always been about more than just a catchy chorus. She writes anthems. And anthems don’t age.
What’s remarkable is that Dolly keeps finding new ways to tell the same story. The movie. The musical. The theme park. The Hallmark special. It’s all one big tapestry. And the 9 to 5 musical is a chance for a new generation to experience the joy of watching working people win. That’s timeless. That’s why it’s still touring. That’s why Dolly still shows up.
9 to 5 Forever
At the end of the interview, Dolly performs “9 to 5.” She invites the audience to sing along, and of course they do. How could they not? The lyrics about working 9 to 5, about ambition, about climbing the boss man’s ladder—they’re burned into our collective memory. It’s a song that makes you want to quit your job and start a revolution, or at least pour yourself a cup of ambition. And Dolly delivers it with that same twinkle she’s had since the beginning.
She also did the song with workers in the Hallmark special. That’s a detail worth noting because it ties everything together. The park. The musical. The song. It’s all about honoring the people who clock in and clock out, who build lives with their hands, who dream of something more. Dollywood is a monument to those people. The 9 to 5 musical is a celebration of them. And “9 to 5” is their anthem.
So here we are, 25 years into Dollywood, and Dolly Parton is still working 9 to 5—except she probably works more. She’s still writing, still performing, still building. And she’s still not listening to the business people who told her she’d lose her butt. She lost some of it, sure. But she gained a legacy. A park. A musical. A song that will outlive all of us.
If there’s one thing Dolly Parton teaches us, it’s that the people who tell you you’ll lose your butt are usually the ones you should stop listening to. And next time, we’re going deeper into Dollywood’s history—the rides, the risk, and what’s next for the park. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.
