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  • Editorial: Hallmark additions — Parton lining up special guests for TV special to be filmed at park
    5 months ago | 1186 views | 0 0 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
    If you’re Dolly Parton and you want to make the 25th anniversary of your theme park — one of the most famous and respected in the world — even more special, how do you do it? Easy. You sign on with cable’s The Hallmark Channel to give Dollywood even more national exposure, and then you sign up some marquee names to appear.

    A week ago, Sevier County’s favorite daughter announced that longtime friend and duet partner Kenny Rogers would be one of the guests. Wow! Dolly and Kenny — “Islands in the Stream,” “We’ve Got Tonight” and all those wonderful Christmas songs — performing together while the special is being taped in Pigeon Forge. How can she top that?

    Well, this week she did. It was confirmed by a park spokeswoman that Parton has reached tentative agreement with country star Billy Ray Cyrus to be on the show. And oh, by the way, joining her dad will be Miley Cyrus, better known to fans worldwide as “Hannah Montana.”

    Now, getting Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus is impressive in its own right. Adding Hannah Montana — er, Miley Cyrus — is just downright icing on the cake. In the four years they’ve been on the air, Hannah Montana the character and Miley Cyrus the person have grown into superstars.

    There have been Hannah Montana movies, soundtracks, books and a clothing line, and the Disney series has won a multitude of awards. Miley, who has grown into a vibrant 17-year-old beauty, has earned her own recording contract, written a memoir, had a fixture in her likeness placed at Madame Tussauds in New York City. In other words, Miley is one of the hottest young celebrities going.

    Parton’s connection to the budding superstar actress/singer is that she has played Hannah Montana’s “Aunt Dolly” on the television show — not that she needs the exposure. Dolly also is the teenager’s godmother.

    The special is likely to be filmed at Dollywood in early May when the Queen of Country Music is in Pigeon Forge for her annual homecoming parade. What will be included in the taping, and whether the public will be allowed to be in the park to see it, is still unclear.

    Meanwhile, officials at Dollywood say they hope to have more details to announce next week. It’s hard to believe that there could be anything to upstage what has already been released. But don’t put it past Dolly to top what seems to be untoppable.

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