Read more
Dollywood impresses first-time visitor
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — “Well, look at you!”
Dolly Parton sashays from behind a lit-up stage prop of the No. 30 that’s almost as tall as her. Immediately she goes full Dolly: “Happy anniversary, everybody! … Can you believe it’s been 30 years since we opened Dollywood? I can’t.”
Inside D.P.’s Celebrity Theater, the venue inside Dollywood initialed after her, Parton spends the next few minutes … well … being Dolly in front of the packed-to-the-rafters crowd of more than 1,700. Decked out in a bodice-gripping purple-and-gold gown, she talks about her dress, makes jokes about her breasts, pokes fun at herself.
“I was thinking back, 30 years ago I was 39 and holding. And 30 years later, I’m 39 and holding — I’m holding everything I can. Thirty years ago, I made the jump to pop music. Today, I’m thinking about a jump to elevator music.”