Headed to the big stage.
Today, it was announced that a musical based on the of the life of Loretta Lynn is headed to Broadway, titled after the iconic 1980 film of the same name and her legendary song, Coal Miner’s Daughter.
The musical will star Sutton Foster as Mrs. Lynn, and it will be directed by very famous Broadway names in Tony Award-winner Sam Gold and composer Jeanine Tesori. The production is currently in development, and Loretta Lynn’s manager, producer, and daughter, Patsy Lynn, and longtime adviser, Nancy Russell, will act as consulting producers.
According to Deadline, Foster has appeared on Broadway in this season’s Once Upon A Mattress revival, as well as productions like Grease, Little Women, Young Frankenstein, Shrek the Musical, Violet, The Music Man and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Her most recent Tony Award nomination came in 2022 for The Music Man, which she starred in opposite Hugh Jackman.
Of course, the Broadway musical will feature music from Loretta’s legendary career, share stories from her life that goes past the ending of the film, and chronicles Lorett’s life from humble beginnings in rural Butcher Holler, Kentucky to becoming a country music icon who made the genre what it is.
Loretta sadly passed on October 4th, 2022, but she left behind an enduring legacy created by honest songs about her life and experiences as a woman who came from nothing, got married very young, raised six kids and managed to chase her music dreams and live a whole lot of life along the way.
She sold over 45 million records worldwide, multiple Grammy Awards, Country Music Association (CMA) awards, and even a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her family says they are “so grateful” that their mother’s life will be brought to life in such a big an special way:
“We are so grateful to see that our mother’s life story and music will continue to touch the hearts of audiences and remain an important statement of the American dream. As one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about, we are thankful that she had the opportunity to experience the initial stages of Sutton’s sincere portrayal of Loretta.
Mom absolutely fell in love with her and thought she was just the right person to play her onstage. The family is moved by this incredible team’s commitment to her legacy.”
Broadway veterans Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini, and ATG Entertainment will produce the musical Coal Miner’s Daughter, which will likely debut sometime later this year or in 2026.
Of course, she’s not the only country music icon to have her life featured as a Broadway musical in the near future, as Mrs. Dolly Parton also has one in the works called Dolly: An Original Musical, which is slated to premiere in Nashville later this year. She has been very involved in the writing, development and production of the music for the show, and it’s cool to see two legendary ladies, who were also close friends, be the topic of two such big productions at the same time.
You’d be hard-pressed to find two more influential, legendary ladies in the genre, and while country music has largely been ignored when it comes to major productions like this, they are finally getting their flowers, so to speak, and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure and support both of them.
Their lives are each way more interesting than any weird concept they could make up, and I have no doubt they’ll each be huge hits.
“Coal Miner’s Daughter”