Loretta Lynn’s Life And Song Go From Film And Concert Stage To New Stage Musical

The compelling life and musical legacy of country music’s first female Entertainer of the Year and Hall of Fame member Loretta Lynn will be celebrated and portrayed in a new stage musical, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” staring Tony Award-winner Sutton Foster.

The production is in development under the direction of Tony Award-winner Sam Gold with music production by Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori. Gold and Tesori last worked together on the Tony Award-winning musical “Fun Home.” The producing team also includes Broadway veterans Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Bee Carrozzini, and ATG Entertainment. Lynn’s manager, producer and daughter Patsy Lynn along with longtime adviser Nancy Russell are consulting producers.
 
Inspired by the 1980 film starring Sissy Spacek and autobiography by Lynn and George Vecsey, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” chronicles Lynn’s rise from poverty growing up in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky, to worldwide fame.

The stage adaptation will include songs from Lynn’s decades-long career, which includes 10 No. 1 albums and 16 No. 1 singles selling more than 45 million copies. The musical will share stories from her life beyond the film’s ending, which featured Lynn performing “Coal Miner’s Daughter” for a sold-out audience in 1970.

According to the family, the stage adaptation of her life story was one of the last creative projects she worked on before her death on Oct. 4, 2022, at age 90.

“We are so grateful to see that our mother’s life story and music will continue to touch the hearts of audiences and remain an important statement of the American dream,” the family said in a statement. “As one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about, we are thankful that she had the opportunity to experience the initial stages of Sutton’s sincere portrayal of Loretta. Mom absolutely fell in love with her and thought she was just the right person to play her onstage. The family is moved by this incredible team’s commitment to her legacy.” 

Lynn left an indelible mark on the genre. Revered for her powerful storytelling and unapologetically honest lyrics her legacy includes timeless hits such as “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “The Pill.”  

Her career, which began in the early 1960s, had a profound impact on music and culture. The film version of “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which was released on March 7, 1980, is considered “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and was selected to be preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry in 2019.

The film version received seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Writing and Spacek won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was also awarded Best Motion Picture by the Golden Globes, National Board of Review, National Film Preservation Board and the Academy of Country Music.

Lynn won numerous trophies including three Grammy Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010; eight County Music Association (CMA) awards including being named the first female Entertainer of the Year in 1972; and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 from then President Barack Obama.