Jessica Gallant to star in ‘Becoming Dolly’ at Charlottetown Festival
‘Prince Edward 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 tot 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 P.E.I.-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,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” “Freaky Friday” and the North American premiere of “Mythic” for which she won BroadwayWorld Montreal's Vocalist and Performer of the Decade. Her film and television work includes “In My Heart,” “The Community Players” and Diggstown.
“Becoming Dolly” plays at The Mack July 4 to Aug. 24. Also playing at this year’s festival are the musicals “Jersey Boys” and “Anne of Green Gables-The Musical.”