Little Engine Playhouse, Presented by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Expands 2019 Tour

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – The Little Engine Playhouse Tour, presented by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, brings another delightful children’s book to life with expanded dates and new locations in 2019. The Playhouse Tour, which traditionally runs for two months in the spring, now begins Jan. 15 at the Nashville Public Library.

Audiences can enjoy the theatrical adaptation of “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon,” which delivers a positive, anti-bullying message. When Molly Lou Melon starts a new school, Ronald Durkin, the school bully, makes fun of her on her very first day. He mocks her teeth, clumsiness and small frame. With advice from her grandmother, Molly Lou shows Ronald her perceived flaws are really her talents. Molly Lou is an example of overcoming obstacles and self-acceptance.

“Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon,” is written by Patty Lovell, with illustrations by David Catrow. The stage adaptation of the story is engineered by long-time Playhouse director, Brian Hull. The cast features Melissa Lawler and Jonathan LeGallais, and Joshua Stewart is stage manager. The Little Engine Playhouse tour is funded by Penguin Books in partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the Dollywood Foundation.

The 2019 expanded tour is made up of two actors and a stage manager. The Little Engine Playhouse Tour continues in Tennessee with stops in Sevier County (weeks of Jan. 28 and March 4), Knox County (week of Feb. 4), Chattanooga (week of Feb. 11) and Anderson County Schools (week of Feb. 18) before heading to Asheville, North Carolina (week of Feb. 25) and Memphis (weeks of March 18 and March 25).

Other dates include Sevier County Schools (March 4), Greenwood, South Carolina (March 11). The tour heads to Arkansas (week of April 22) and wraps up in Ontario, Canada (weeks of May 20 and May 27).

About The Dollywood Company

A highly-awarded and widely-recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa; and Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of more than 35 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 26 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which celebrated record attendance in 2017. Dollywood was named a top three US theme park by USA Today in 2014 and 2017. Dollywood is open nine months a year (late March through early January) and offers rides and attractions, shows, and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and TripAdvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks and named 2009’s Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from mid-May to Labor Day. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, which received the 2017 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, provides guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit www.dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary. 

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