Dolly Parton’s ‘Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol’ coming to UIS
Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol” will come to Springfield this holiday season as part of the musical’s 2026 national tour.
The production will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, at the UIS Performing Arts Center. The national tour is scheduled to begin Nov. 14 in Princeton, West Virginia, before visiting more than 20 cities.
The musical features music and lyrics by Parton, an 11-time Grammy Award winner, with a book by David H. Bell. The production was adapted for the stage by Bell, Paul T. Couch and Curt Wollan and is directed and choreographed by Antoinette DiPietropolo.
Set in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee during the 1930s, the musical reimagines Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in a mining company town. Ebenezer Scrooge is portrayed as the town’s wealthy mine owner whose greed has separated him from those around him.
As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and three ghosts who force him to confront his past, present and future. The production combines characters and themes from Dickens’ original story with Parton’s music and her connection to the Smoky Mountains.
Parton described the musical as her “love letter to the Smoky Mountains, to Christmas, and to the timeless reminder that love, compassion, and generosity are gifts that we can all share.”
Parton was born in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, near the Great Smoky Mountains, and the region remained closely connected to her music and career. Her work earned recognition across music, television, film and theater, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 2006 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. She received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Governors Awards in November 2025 for her philanthropic work.
“The holidays have always held a special place in Dolly’s heart,” Couch said. “A Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol represents another meaningful way to experience the many musical gifts that Dolly created for us to enjoy and connect with her, and it’s with that spirit that we’ll share her beautiful songs and stories.”
Tickets for the Springfield performance range from $39 to $129. FRIENDS of the UIS Performing Arts Center can purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, Oct. 7. Memberships begin at $25 per household and include advance ticket purchasing opportunities throughout the season.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased through UISpac.com. Additional information about the production and its national tour is available at Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol.
