Love, Dolly
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Through June 18, 2023
A love letter to America’s “Backwoods Barbie” is taking the stage at Sierra Madre Playhouse; Love, Dolly stars Kim Eberhardt as national treasure Dolly Parton in a jukebox concert peppered with stories from Parton’s life. This cabaret of anecdotes and musical pairings is by and for Parton fans, in particular those who grew up on Parton in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Unlike most theatrical experiences, this production encourages audiences to take pictures and videos, clap, and sing along.
The band quietly shuffling to their seats center stage makes for an awkward start, but when Eberhardt enters, the energy instantly changes. This manifestation of Parton is bubbly, warm, and witty, just like the real thing. The show doesn’t attempt to be immersive, however — the blonde-bobbed singer kicks things off with an announcement that she is not the real Parton. Instead, Eberhardt recounts Parton’s life as an enthusiastic narrator in between loosely connected country numbers and the odd comparison to her own upbringing. The set sports a sparse collection of simple items signifying a rural home, but they are never utilized for more than decoration; the primary “props” are small handheld instruments such as the tambourine and harmonica that Eberhardt impressively plays while singing at choice moments in the musical lineup.
Eberhardt’s vocal performances are excellent, decently matching Parton’s vocal style, but at times the lyrics are drowned out by the upbeat instrumentals in a too-small venue. Much of the recital is delivered from a bouncy dancing position at the mic, which feels restrained. This show is begging for an outdoor venue, or at the very least a space large enough to hold the amount of energy Eberhardt has to give. The blonde wigs are similarly restrained in size, undermining the Parton likeness and the show’s ability to capture her larger-than-life personality.
The written material portions segmenting the songs feel very superficial, hitting the major beats of Parton’s life but ultimately missing an opportunity to capture her three dimensionality — in contrast with the other historical solo shows programmed by the Playhouse this season, Love, Dolly is not ideal for audience members who aren’t already familiar with the subject matter. If you don’t know the music, it’s difficult to enjoy the show as a piece of theater (as opposed to a cover band presentation), and you should probably leave the kids at home; there’s a few places in the script where problematic ideas around diet culture and body dysmorphia are carelessly dropped without any note about the cultural contexts within which Parton faced them, references that could be packaged more carefully. This show isn’t a good first introduction to Parton if you don’t already know her, and runs the risk of unintentionally painting a shallow, detrimental picture for younger audiences.
Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA. Fri.- Sat. at 8 pm; Sun., 2 pm; thru June 18. https://sierramadreplayhouse.org/show-details/love-dolly Running time: 1 hr 30 minutes with one 15-minute intermission
