January 19, 2024 – Island performer Jessica Gallant will return to The Charlottetown Festival this summer with a new production that pays tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton.

Becoming Dolly is an exhilarating cabaret show that explores the life of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of our time. Gallant takes a musical journey through Parton’s life with toe-tapping renditions of iconic songs like “9 to 5”, “Coat of Many Colours”, “Jolene”, and more.

“Jessica is an exceptional talent and powerhouse vocalist who never fails to wow audiences,” says Adam Brazier, artistic director of performing arts at Confederation Centre of the Arts. “We are thrilled to be nurturing the development of this piece and continuing to put Island talent on stage.”

Audiences may be familiar with a previous show, Jessica Gallant is Dolly Parton, which had three sold out runs between St. Peter’s Courthouse Theatre and Under the Spire Festival. Becoming Dolly is a new production that Gallant will debut at Confederation Centre of the Arts.

“Bringing a show I created to The Charlottetown Festival is something beyond my wildest dreams,” says Gallant. “Dolly Parton is a symbol of authenticity, generosity, and power; I’m thrilled to be exploring her stories deeper and developing this piece at The Mack.”

Gallant has a long history with The Charlottetown Festival – she was a member of the Young Company and continued to perform at the Festival for several seasons. Most notably, she was the second Island-born actor to play Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™. Other Festival credits include Mamma Mia!, I’m Every Woman, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and the world premiere of Evangeline.

Gallant has performed at theatres across Canada, with credits including a Dora Award-winning musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland (Bad Hats Theatre Company); Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid (Drayton Entertainment); Freaky Friday (Theatre Aquarius); and the North American premiere of Mythic (Segal Centre) – for which she won BroadwayWorld Montreal’s Vocalist and Performer of the Decade. Her film and television work includes In My Heart (CBC Gem), The Community Players (Bell Fibe TV), and Diggstown (CBC).

Sponsored by Key Murray Law, Becoming Dolly plays at The Mack from July 4 – August 24 as part of The 2024 Charlottetown Festival. Also playing at this year’s Festival are the legendary musicals Jersey Boys and Anne of Green Gables–The Musical™.

Tickets for Becoming Dolly are on sale now to Centre members and available to the public on Saturday, January 20. Tickets can be purchased at the Centre’s box office, online at confederationcentre.com, or via phone at 1-800-565-0278.

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Media Contact:
Emily McMahon, Communications Manager, Confederation Centre of the Arts
[email protected] | 902-628-6135