How The Fisher Center at Belmont University Staged a World Premiere for DOLLY: A True Original Musical
- Callista Nurimba
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The energy in the Fisher Center at Nashville on opening night was electric. It was more than just the typical excitement for a new show; it was the palpable buzz of a world premiere for a musical about a beloved icon. Not just anyone, Tennessee’s own Dolly Parton.
For the team at the Fisher Center, this night was the culmination of an intense, months-long sprint to launch an unprecedented 49-show run. As the curtain rose before a packed house, the joyful reaction of the audience delivered an immediate and triumphant verdict: this monumental undertaking was already a resounding success.
The Challenge: A High-Stakes Premiere
With just one month from the green light to the on-sale date, the Fisher Center team had to prepare for a massive undertaking. The plan involved building and managing ticketing for 49 individual shows, a daunting task on its own.
Furthermore, the on-sale announcement was set to be emailed to nearly a million people, generating significant traffic to the system. The Fisher Center needed to quickly prove it had the team, the technology, and the expertise to deliver a flawless experience worthy of a world premiere.
The Solutions: Partnership and Powerful Tech
Facing these hurdles, the Fisher Center team leaned on its partnership with Paciolan to devise and implement a robust strategy. The first step was building confidence. Experts from Paciolan joined meetings with the Dolly teams to showcase the platform’s leading services and capabilities, successfully winning them over.
To manage the massive on-sale, the Fisher Center utilized Paciolan’s queue technology for the first time, ensuring the system remained stable and provided a smooth purchasing process for patrons. They also introduced Fan Shield ticket insurance, giving patrons flexibility and peace of mind while reducing refund-related calls to the box office.
Throughout the entire process, the support was hands-on. Paciolan assisted in the building of the initial 34 - and then the 15 shows added later – ensuring every detail was perfect. When there was a last-minute request to change the sound mix position after tickets were already sold, the Fisher Center and Paciolan teams worked together to reseat affected patrons seamlessly. Paciolan’s Access Management team was on-site on opening night to deploy the new pedestal ticket scanners for the first time. Every challenge was met with a solution.
“There's a lot of firsts, really, and that can be a scary thing,” said Gage Baxter, Managing Director for the Fisher Center. “Paciolan basically held our hands as much as we needed throughout the entire process. And that was a comfort.”
The Results: A Resounding Success and a Bold Future
DOLLY: A True Original Musical was a spectacular success. The event sold a staggering 77,000 tickets, and demand was so high that the initial run was extended by another two weeks. The premiere brought new audiences to the Fisher Center in droves, creating 2,300 new patron accounts through ticket transfers alone. It drew attendees from all 50 states and Washington DC.
Beyond the numbers, the premiere was a landmark event for the region. “To have the Middle Tennessee community show out with such love and support for this show was incredible to witness,” Baxter shared. “It was more than a show; it was a celebration of a Tennessee icon, and we were so proud to be the ones to host it.”
The Fisher Center at Belmont University is now setting its sights higher than ever before. This experience has solidified its reputation as a premier venue capable of handling world-class productions. As Baxter concluded, “This just challenges us to go for bigger opportunities. Can we be an incubator for new musicals? Can we be a space of world premieres or national premieres? We’re setting the bar high. We want to continue to deliver.”
