Dolly Parton musicals and intolerance go together like rhinestones and mud—completely incompatible. Yet, somehow, a certain breed of audience members attending the UK tour of ‘Here You Come Again’ missed the memo that a show featuring the queen of country-pop herself might—just might—be a little bit queer.
The production, which follows a struggling fan who gets an intervention from none other than an ethereal Dolly Parton (as played by Tricia Paoluccio), is a jukebox romp through the legend’s hits, including Jolene and 9 to 5. But while the show is filled with joy and heart, some patrons have responded with an entirely different emotion: outrage. Not at the high ticket prices or the lack of an actual live Dolly, but at the audacity of a gay character existing on stage.
Steven Webb, the show’s lead, has taken to social media to chronicle the jaw-dropping behavior he and the cast have endured, including being called an anti-gay slur and having to pause performances due to hecklers. In Manchester, one woman was so appalled by the presence of a gay character that she made a scene and was promptly escorted out—a dramatic turn of events more suited to a soap opera than a night at the theatre.
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“It’s a Dolly Parton musical, mate. It’s gonna be a little bit gay, obviously.” – Steven Webb
Webb pointed out in his now-viral TikTok video, which has amassed over 350,000 views. His exasperation is understandable: This is Dolly Parton we’re talking about—the same woman who once said, “If I hadn’t been a girl, I’d have been a drag queen.”
The absurdity doesn’t end there. Webb recounted another incident in London, where a man angrily shouted that he was “not here to watch some effing talk about his boyfriend, I just wanna see Dolly Parton.” The irony is almost poetic. A man so blinded by prejudice that he failed to recognize that loving Dolly Parton and homophobia are two completely opposing forces in the universe.
The show’s producers swiftly condemned the bigotry, making it clear that anyone engaging in such behavior would be shown the door faster than you can say a cowboy can tip his hat.. “Individuals making such comments are not welcome at our show,” they stated, reinforcing that Here You Come Again is a celebration of inclusivity, joy, and (shockingly!) basic human decency.
For Webb, the incidents have been an eye-opener.
“We’re in such a bubble in this industry,” he reflected. “But traveling the country and seeing how many people literally cannot bear to see a gay person depicted on stage—it’s wild.”
Wild, indeed. As Webb hilariously summed it up:
“It’d be like if I had that reaction to the color blue. I mean, it exists. It’s not going anywhere. I could not escape it. So I feel really bad for them, because I’d be like, ‘Oh, f*** the sky.’”
In an age where Dolly Parton herself has been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s baffling that some fans still haven’t gotten the message. But for every heckler ejected, there’s a packed theater of fans cheering for love, acceptance, and the simple joy of a man singing his heart out with the spirit of Dolly Parton by his side.
To those looking to stomp their boots in protest, perhaps take a minute to read the show’s synopsis before buying a ticket. Because, honey, if you can’t handle a little glitter, what are you even doing at a Dolly Parton musical?
SOURCE: Deadline
People in the world dont know how to live? Live and let live my mom used to say to me. I am 85 now and gay man and with partner of 45 years – bets life ever i have had. Who cares what you are – who you love – what colour -or religion or other things this is our life not to have someone destroy and hate us for it. If they dont like it look the other way and check your family and friends there will be a lot of gay people in your life then. You may want to Love them and not hate them. We are human – no inhumane like the Trump and his family and he is destroying the world for us and others…
From a proud Canadian – Long live Canada
I’m here scratching my head, does ANYONE not know that Dolly Parton is a loving friend and supporter of the queer community, and the amount of followers in the queer community that adore her, is a HUGE statistic. I guess some people just don’t know about the artists they listen to.
The election of Donald Trump has unleashed a wave of anti-LGBT+ sentiment that has been festering for some time. Now, there is implicit permission to behave like the POTUS and his MAGA cadre, to be a racist, misogynist, sexual predator, fraud, exhaustively documented liar, transphobe and homophobe. Trump is a nasty piece of work, and so is anyone who, knowing all this, still decided to vote for him.
Just further evidence that the people that rage against anything that celebrates any aspect of diversity, equity and inclusion, have absolutely no clue what they are railing against. And further proving their sadly limited cognitive ability to think and reason.