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Marc Malkin

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Dolly Parton's New 9 to 5 Shift

Tue., Jul. 15, 2008 3:00 PM PDT by Marc Malkin

AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

Dolly Parton is heading to Broadway.

The country legend was in New York today to announce that the musical adaptation of 9 to 5 will open on Broadway at the Marriott Marquis Theatre on April 23.

The show—which will feature 20 songs written and composed by Parton and will be directed by Joe Mantello—will have its world premiere with a seven-week pre-Broadway run here in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theater starting in September.

Based on the 1980 film starring Parton, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman, the stage production is headlined by Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty and Marc Kudisch.

"Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined I'd be doing a Broadway musical, let alone with Dolly Parton," Janney told me after today's announcement. "The fact that I am stepping into a role previously performed by my hero Lily Tomlin makes it all the more delicious."