Zooey Deschanel to Portray Loretta Lynn on Broadway

Country music legend Loretta Lynn announced Thursday evening (5/10) from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium during Opry Country Classics that she has chosen Grammy® and Golden Globe nominated actress and star of FOX TV’s New Girl, Zooey Deschanel to portray her in an upcoming Broadway-bound stage adaptation of Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Following the announcement, Deschanel joined Lynn on the Ryman stage for a duet of Lynn’s signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” The announcement and performance mirrored the 1979 Grand Ole Opry appearance where Lynn invited a young Sissy Spacek onstage to announce that she had chosen the actress to portray her in the forthcoming film.

Coal Miner’s Daughter will be brought to the stage by two Tony Award-winning producers, Fox Theatricals (Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson) and Scott Sanders Productions, which have collectively brought some of the biggest hits to the stage, including Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, Red, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and more.

The creative team and dates for the production will be announced in the coming months. The schedule will not conflict with Deschanel’s current commitment to New Girl, on which she stars and produces.