Dolly Would: Here you come again

Simple aerodynamics would seem to ensure that Dolly Parton and dance have precious little to do with each other. But this year the Getalong Gang Performance Group proved that while the country legend might not be one to dance herself, she could certainly inspire dance by others. In the 2007 FronteraFest Long Fringe, the Getalong Gang premiered Dolly Would, a dance/theatre work in which characters overcome obstacles in life through the musical insights of the singer-songwriter. In her review for the Chronicle, Clayton Maxwell called the choreography by Zenobia Taylor "nimble and creative" and the dancers "so expressive, so sassy, and so willing to do backward rolls on a cold concrete floor, you can't help but love them." Now, Dolly's back, and Taylor promises fresh faces, new moves, and a preshow reel of choice moments from Dolly's silver-screen career, assembled by company Co-Artistic Director Spencer Driggers.

Taylor, who admits to being "a huge Dolly fan, almost unhealthily so," says the piece grew out of "this insane recurring dream" she had in which Parton would appear to her whenever she was unsure or confused over problems with family, work, relationships, whatever. "She would give me this incredible advice that always worked, but when I woke up, I could never remember what she had said to me." That led her to imagine a show with characters in various situations asking themselves, "What would Dolly do?" The soundtrack would feature Parton songs, naturally, and Taylor wanted to showcase her entire body of work, from her early recordings with Porter Wagoner to her Eighties pop hits to personal numbers like "My Tennessee Mountain Home," a Taylor favorite. "People don't realize what a great songwriter she is because of the blondness and the boobs and whatnot," she says.

They might have a better idea after Dolly Would. The FronteraFest run was so well-received and Taylor so proud of the show that when Getalong Gang was approached about producing something in the new Salvage Vanguard Theater, a Dolly Would revival seemed a natural choice. Taylor has refined some steps, reworked the show for six performers, and allowed them to add personal touches in movement and dialogue. "Overall, it's a much tighter, more cohesive show," she says.

And one that treats audiences to the Hollywood Dolly, of whom Taylor is also fond. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas may have been panned by critics, but it's the movie she watches, she says, "when I'm feeling blue and want to be cheered up. I especially love when she sings 'Hard Candy Christmas' with all her 'girls' at the end. Also, her duet with Burt Reynolds is pretty hilarious."

Dolly Would runs Sept. 20-23, Thursday-Sunday, 8pm, at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 2803 Manor Rd. For more information, call 474-TIXS or visit www.texasperforms.com.