Coal Miner's Daughter, Michael Apted's 1980 movie about the life of Loretta Lynn, is one of the all-time great music biopics. That's a thriving genre right now, but it barely existed when the film came out, so the clichés weren't all written into stone in the same way. Lynn was still an active recording artist back then, and she remained one for decades, so it wasn't quite so drunk on nostalgia. The cast was amazing. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for playing Lynn, and Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D'Angelo, and Levon Helm all did great work. Coal Miner's Daughter was a huge hit, and it was nominated for Best Picture. Now, in a time when these stories are told in very different ways, a Coal Miner's Daughter stage musical is in development.
Loretta Lynn's website announces that the Broadway and TV star Sutton Foster has signed on to play Lynn in a new stage adaptation of Coal Miner's Daughter. Foster is a two-time Tony winner, and you might know her for playing the leads in the TV series Bunheads and Younger. (You could also know her for being Hugh Jackman's partner.) Sam Gold will direct the show, and Jeaning Tesori will produce the music; both of them are also Tony winners. Loretta's daughter/manager Patsy Lynn -- who, yes, is named after the other Patsy -- is a producer. So is Lynn adviser Nancy Russell. Lynn passed away in 2022 at the age of 90, but she was apparently enthusiastic about the project. In a statement, Lynn's family has this to say:
We are so grateful to see that our mother's life story and music will continue to touch the hearts of audiences and remain an important statement of the American dream. As one of the last creative projects our mom was so passionate about, we are thankful that she had the opportunity to experience the initial stages of Sutton's sincere portrayal of Loretta. Mom absolutely fell in love with her and thought she was just the right person to play her onstage. The family is moved by this incredible team's commitment to her legacy.
Presumably, the musical and the movie won't be quite the same. The story of Coal Miner's Daughter begins when Loretta Lynn gets married at 15, and it was already a stretch for 30-year-old Sissy Spacek to play her. Sutton Foster is 49, and she looks absolutely amazing -- that's kind of the premise of Younger -- but can she really play 15? Maybe you can do things onstage that you couldn't do onscreen. In any case, she's a great performer, and it's a great story.
