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Review
Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry, review: a joyful display of homespun charm
If anyone can help us through the current crisis, it’s surely Dolly Parton. This month alone, the 74-year-old force of nature has donated $1 m to coronavirus vaccine research, launched an online series where she reads bedtime stories to children and released her back catalogue onto streaming services to “bring some light during lockdown”. Now the queen of country was back to her day job. Kicking off an evening of Parton-themed programming on BBC Two, Dolly Parton: 50 Years at the Opry was a film of her concert to celebrate half a century as a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s “mother church of country music”.
Clad in head-to-toe silver – even her guitar was glittery – she poked fun at her eerily youthful appearance with well-polished patter. “I haven’t aged that much,” she quipped, “but I’ve certainly aged my plastic surgeons.” Parton never minded being dismissed as a dumb blonde, she twinkled, because “I know I ain’t dumb and I know I ain’t blonde.” Then came the hoary old classic: “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap”.
She dutifully belted out five decades of hits, including 9 to 5, Jolene and I Will Always Love You. The adoring audience, many wearing tribute wigs, sang along with gusto. When Parton paid tribute to her mother with Coat of Many Colors, the camera cut to tearful embraces between “mommas” and daughters in the crowd.
It was cheesily framed by US network NBC’s gold graphics and the soft focus made it look like there was Vaseline smeared on the lens. The pace flagged during endless guest appearances and Dolly’s faux-spontaneous backstage songs were a little cringe-making.
Mainly, though, this was a joyful display of homespun charm, toe-tapping tunes and sheer showmanship. On Christmas Day, BBC Two’s screening of Dolly Parton: Here I Am was its most-watched music documentary of the year, demonstrating the size and devotion of Parton’s fan base. Here she reminded us why.