The Show Must Go On: Celebrating Dolly Parton Through Music—and Giving

The Dolly Show brings six decades of unforgettable music to The Factory while helping continue the late superstar’s extraordinary philanthropic legacy

By Grayling Holmes

There may be no more appropriate way to celebrate Dolly Parton than with a night filled with music, laughter, rhinestones—and generosity.

Just weeks after the world lost one of its most beloved entertainers and philanthropists, The Dolly Show Starring Kelly O’Brien comes to The Factory in Chesterfield on Tuesday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m., offering St. Louis audiences an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary music and larger-than-life personality that made Parton a global icon.

But this will be more than a tribute concert.

It will also be an opportunity to help continue something that was every bit as important to Dolly as the music: giving back.

In celebration of Parton’s life and legacy, The Factory will donate $1 from every ticket sold to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the literacy program she founded in 1995 to provide free books to young children.

For Sophisticated Living readers and followers, that gives us two wonderful reasons to fill The Factory on October 27.

Come for Dolly.

And come for the children whose lives her generosity continues to touch.

A Loss Felt Around the World

Dolly Parton's death on August 25 at age 80 brought an outpouring of affection that transcended country music.

That should surprise no one.

For more than six decades, Dolly occupied a rare place in American culture. She was a songwriter, singer, actress, entrepreneur and entertainer whose songs became part of the soundtrack of generations.

Jolene.

9 to 5.

Coat of Many Colors.

Islands in the Stream.

And, of course, I Will Always Love You.

But the rhinestones, towering blonde hair, quick wit and instantly recognizable voice told only part of her story.

Dolly was also a philanthropist.

Her generosity became an essential part of her public legacy, and perhaps no initiative represents that generosity more beautifully than Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

She founded the program in 1995 in her native East Tennessee, inspired in part by her father's inability to read and write. What began as an effort to put books into the hands of children in her home county grew into an international literacy program spanning five countries.

Today, participating children receive a carefully selected, age-appropriate book every month from birth until age five—delivered directly to their homes at no cost to their families.

It is philanthropy in its most practical form.

A book.

A child.

A possibility.

And then another book arrives the following month.

And another.

Dolly understood that dreams often begin with something as simple as opening a book.

That work continues after her death, which makes The Factory's decision to support the Imagination Library through The Dolly Show particularly meaningful.

A Dollar From Every Ticket

One dollar may not sound transformational.

Multiply it by a packed concert venue, however, and it becomes something much more meaningful.

It also turns every ticket purchased into something beyond admission to a great night of entertainment.

Every person in the audience becomes part of the giving.

That feels particularly appropriate for a Dolly Parton tribute.

Throughout her life, Dolly demonstrated that enormous success and generosity didn't have to exist in separate worlds. She could sell out a theater, make people laugh, write a song that broke their hearts—and use the success that followed to improve the lives of others.

Entertainment and philanthropy were never mutually exclusive.

They were part of the same remarkable life.

So, while none of us can say precisely what Dolly would tell St. Louis audiences today, the decision to combine a celebration of her music with support for children's literacy certainly reflects the values she demonstrated throughout her lifetime.

The music continues.

The laughter continues.

And, importantly, the giving continues.

As Close to Dolly as a Tribute Can Get

At the center of the evening will be Kelly O'Brien, whose connection to Parton's world makes this considerably more than the average tribute act.

O'Brien has been endorsed by the Parton family and was selected by Dolly Parton Enterprises to serve as Dolly's official body double for film.

With the familiar voice, mannerisms, warmth, humor and glamorous costumes, O'Brien has built an international reputation for bringing the Dolly experience to audiences around the world.

Backed by a live band, The Dolly Show takes audiences through six decades of songs that transformed Parton from a young woman from the mountains of East Tennessee into one of the most recognizable entertainers on Earth.

Expect the heartbreak of Jolene.

The working-woman anthem that is 9 to 5.

The romance of Islands in the Stream.

And the soaring emotion of I Will Always Love You.

And expect rhinestones.

Lots and lots of rhinestones.

This isn't designed as a performer simply standing at a microphone singing Dolly songs. The production promises a full theatrical experience incorporating costumes, comedy, storytelling and the warmth that became such an essential part of Parton's appeal.

That distinction may be even more poignant now.

Before August 25, audiences could experience The Dolly Show as an exuberant tribute to a living legend.

On October 27, St. Louis will experience it differently.

It has become a celebration of a life.

More Than Country Music

One of Dolly Parton's greatest achievements was her ability to transcend categories.

Certainly, she was the Queen of Country.

But you didn't have to consider yourself a country music fan to love Dolly Parton.

Her audience crossed generations, geography, politics, income levels and musical tastes. People who couldn't name five country singers could sing the chorus to 9 to 5. Whitney Houston introduced an entirely different generation to I Will Always Love You. Her film roles made her a Hollywood star, while her humor and self-awareness made her endlessly quotable.

And through it all, she never seemed to forget where she came from.

Perhaps that explains why the Imagination Library became such an important part of her legacy.

The program wasn't about glamour.

It wasn't about celebrity.

It was about giving children something Dolly knew could change the trajectory of a life: the ability—and desire—to read.

The Imagination Library now sends millions of books to children each month across the United States and internationally, with children receiving books regardless of family income where local programs are available.

That is a legacy measured not in record sales or awards, but in bedtime stories, first words and childhood imaginations.

Sophisticated Living Readers: Let's Fill The Factory

There are nights when we go out simply to be entertained.

There are other nights when entertainment can serve a larger purpose.

October 27 gives St. Louis both.

Sophisticated Living encourages our readers and followers—lifelong Dolly devotees and casual fans alike—to come out and support The Dolly Show.

Bring your friends.

Bring your mother.

Bring your daughters.

Bring the person who knows every word of Jolene and the person who claims not to like country music but somehow knows every word of 9 to 5.

Wear the rhinestones if you're feeling adventurous.

Sing along.

Laugh.

Remember Dolly.

And know that simply by purchasing your ticket, you are also helping support the literacy initiative she spent decades building.

Better yet, let's fill the room.

Because the more tickets St. Louis buys, the larger The Factory's contribution to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library becomes.

That is something worth applauding before the first note is even sung.

An Evening of Music With a Little More Meaning

The Factory itself should provide an ideal backdrop.

Located at The District in Chesterfield, the venue combines industrial-inspired architecture with the amenities of a modern concert hall, along with complimentary parking for concert events.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the performance beginning at 7:30 p.m.

By then, the lights will dim.

The band will strike its first notes.

Kelly O'Brien will step onto the stage.

And for a few hours, St. Louis can remember the wit, sparkle, warmth and extraordinary songbook of a woman the world is still mourning.

But somewhere beyond that stage, the evening will have another consequence.

A child will receive a book.

Then another.

And another.

Dolly Parton's voice may have been silenced, but the ideas she put into the world do not have to be.

Her songs can still fill theaters.

Her humor can still make us smile.

Her story can still inspire.

And her generosity can continue opening books—and possibilities—for children she would never have the opportunity to meet.

Perhaps that is the most fitting tribute of all.

Keep singing. Keep laughing. Keep giving.

And, as Dolly herself taught the world so beautifully for 80 years, never be afraid to add a few rhinestones along the way.

THE DOLLY SHOW STARRING KELLY O'BRIEN

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Doors: 6:30 p.m. | Show: 7:30 p.m.
The Factory at The District — Chesterfield

The Factory will donate $1 from every ticket sold to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in celebration of her life and legacy.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and The Factory.

Come for the music. Celebrate the legend. Help continue the legacy.