Pittsburgh CLO presents Dolly Parton musical ‘Here You Come Again’
Matt Urban
ON THE COVER: Tricia Paoluccio portrays Dolly Parton in the musical “Here You Come Again.”
Photo by Matt Urban
Tricia Paoluccio and Jamison Stern star in “Here You Come Again,” a musical built around the songs of Dolly Parton.
Matt Urban
Jamison Stern stars as a comedian locked up in his parents’ attic during the COVID-19 pandemic in “Here You Come Again.”
Matt Urban
Tricia Paoluccio and Jamison Stern perform in “Here You Come Again.”
Matt Urban
Tricia Paoluccio and Jamison Stern onstage in “Here You Come Again.”
Dolly Parton is having a moment.
She was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has won widespread admiration for her philanthropic ventures and business acumen, and is being upheld in many quarters as an example of female empowerment. Not bad at all for a performer who has been firmly planted in the public eye since 1967 and will be turning 77 in a couple of weeks.
With the Dolly Renaissance showing no signs of abating, the time is probably ripe for a musical built around the songs that have helped make her such a beloved figure. “Here You Come Again,” which debuted last fall in Wilmington, Del., is being presented by the Pittsburgh CLO as part of its Kara Cabaret Series starting next Thursday and continuing through Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Highmark Theatre.
Written by Bruce Vilanch and Gabriel Barre, with Barre also directing and choreographing, “Here You Come Again” tells the story of a struggling New York comedian who is locked up in his parents’ Texas attic following a break-up and during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of his despair, Parton appears to him and offers advice, hope and, naturally, some signature hits like the title tune, “Jolene” and “9 to 5.” “Here You Come Again” comes with the subtitle, “How Dolly Parton Saved My Life in 12 Easy Songs.”
“I grew up listening to Dolly Parton,” said Tricia Paoluccio, who plays Parton, in an online interview last week. Paoluccio is married to Barre, and pointed out, “I heard Dolly sing as a little girl and fell in love with the sound of her voice. I’ve always enjoyed breaking into Dolly Parton songs during rehearsals.”
Paoluccio played Parton onstage once before, in the Tammy Wynette musical, “Stand By Your Man,” and thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if we could create a show where we could see Dolly Parton in action?”
The idea for “Here You Come Again” came about while much of the world was shutting down due to COVID-19. It was pulled together quickly, and a recording of a Zoom reading was forwarded to Parton. Six months later she gave her blessing, asking only that a reference to her hometown, Sevierville, Tenn., be altered.
“It came through her lawyer that she loved the show,” Barre recalled.
Vilanch already had a professional relationship with Parton, having been a writer on a short-lived variety series Parton starred in on ABC-TV in 1987-88. It’s among the writing and acting credits he has amassed over the years, which include writing for the annual Oscar telecasts and appearing for six years on the TV game show “Hollywood Squares” (seated in the square to the left of Whoopi Goldberg, he points out).
“I wrote her big bomb television series,” Vilanch remembered. “And I’ve had a good relationship with her since – not close, but she knows who I am and she knows we’re not going to do her dirty.”
“Here You Come Again” is probably one of the first stage productions of any kind to incorporate COVID-19 into the story. When Barre and Vilanch were writing it, they wondered if the pandemic would still resonate with audiences in the long term. But, according to Vilanch, “I always felt the pandemic was like World War II. It happened a long time ago, but we’re still writing about it. It’s international, it’s a global thing.”
After “Here You Come Again” finishes its Pittsburgh run, it will be moving to Nashville, where they hope Parton will have the opportunity to see it for herself. In the meantime, Barre is not sure if the musical will eventually land on Broadway, but he says it could.
“We secured the rights for smaller venues because it is a small show,” he explained. “That was intentional. So, we had the rights to do the show in a venue up to 750 seats around the country and 500 seats in New York. That could all change obviously, depending on the ambitions of any producers who come along.”
Showtimes are 7 p.m. next Thursday and on Jan. 13-14, Jan. 17-22 and Jan. 24-29. Matinee performances are also set for 2 p.m. on Jan. 14, Jan. 21-22 and Jan. 28-29. For tickets or additional information, go online to pittsburghclo.org.