Open Stage Will Present JOLENE: A Dolly Parton Song Cycle Next Month

Open Stage, a professional theatre company in downtown Harrisburg, will present Jolene: A Dolly Parton Song Cycle on its Studio Theatre stage Sept. 8-18, with a special additional outdoor performance at Italian Lake on Sunday, Sept. 11.

This musical revue pays homage to the vitality, voice and style of Dolly Parton, America's Country Sweetheart. With an amazing band and a set of songs by Tennessee's Iron Butterfly, the performance is sure to please both Parton purists and newbies to her Smokey Mountain sound. Cast includes Madison Eppley, Maggie Haynes and Carly Lafferty with musical direction by Nick Werner. A live band will accompany the singers featuring Nick Werner on keyboard, Jeremy Blouch on bass, Brad Barkdoll on guitar and Dani Fiore on drums.

The tribute song cycle captures the spirit of a true musical genius, including Parton's biggest hits like "9 to 5," "Jolene," "Two Doors Down," "Coat of Many Colors," and more.

"The cast and band will deliver foot-stomping, rhinestone-infused fun," said Open Stage Artistic Director Stuart Landon. "Audiences will be swinging, swaying and singing along from beginning to end."

The namesake of the performance, Jolene, continues to be one of Parton's most recognizable hit singles. In a 2008 interview with NPR, she described the inspiration for the song title.

"One night, I was on stage, and there was this beautiful little girl - she was probably eight years old at the time," Parton shared with NPR. "And she had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding, you know, for an autograph. I said, 'Well, you're the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene.' And I said, 'Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene.' I said, 'That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.'"

"Jolene" became one of Parton's first hit singles when she released it in 1973.

Performances of Jolene: A Dolly Parton Song Cycle will take place at the Studio Theatre at Open Stage at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8, 9, 15, 16, 18 and at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 10. The special outdoor performance will take place at Italian Lake's park pavilion in Harrisburg on Sunday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m.

For tickets to Jolene: A Dolly Parton Song Cycle, visit openstagehbg.com.

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