Doralee Rhodes

Who is Doralee Rhodes?

Doralee works for the domineering Franklin Hart Jr. and spends much of the story fending off both his advances and the office gossip that assumes she is having an affair with him. Beneath the big hair and bright personality is a woman who simply wants to be respected for her work rather than judged on rumor and appearance.

Her friendship with coworkers Violet and Judy becomes the emotional backbone of the musical, as the three women realize they have far more in common than the office politics initially suggest, and together they take matters into their own hands.

Playing Doralee on stage

As one of the show's three leads, Doralee requires a performer with a bright, country-inflected voice and comic instincts sharp enough to sell both her sweetness and her steel. The role rewards someone who can find the character's genuine kindness without losing her backbone.

Because the score was written by Dolly Parton herself, Doralee's songs carry an authentic country flavor that sets her apart vocally from her castmates, and performers often relish the chance to bring that twang to a Broadway stage.

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