Photo via Zooey Deschanel's Instagram
Last night the legendary Loretta Lynn announced that Zooey Deschanel would be starring in the stage adaptation of her 1976 autobiography, Coal Miner's Daughter, which will be coming to Broadway... eventually, we guess, maybe once Deschanel nails down that accent. While Deschanel has tackled the movie, television, and music world with her effortless (but probably really tiring, right?) quirkiness... can she embody the complex character of Lynn, who rose from impoverishment to stardom?
The announcement came from Lynn on the stage at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which the NY Times notes was similar to her announcement of Sissy Spacek portraying her in the 1980 film. Deschanel was right alongside of her, and Tweeted this photo, saying, "Loretta Lynn asked me to do "coal miner's daughter" on broadway! I said YES!" This will be Deschanel's Broadway debut, which brings us back to the original question: can she do it? Call us optimists, but we say sure! Why not? That kid's got talent. But others, like Tyler Coates at Blackbook, have doubts. Today Coates wrote:
Zooey Deschanel is going to star as Loretta Lynn in a Broadway adaptation of Coal Miner's Daughter. What happens if you stick a blonde wig on a doe-eyed girl who sings like Aaron Neville? I don't think it'll be much like Loretta Lynn. Of course, I will be one of the first in line for tickets to see Zooey D. slur and bat her eyes on the Great White Way, as my mantra is, generally, "This milk is spoiled. Here, taste it."
At least she's got Lynn's support, who said in her announcement, "I know Zooey is going to be great—she sings and writes her own songs just like I do, and we even have the same color eyes!" New question: will they further the story for the stage and will Jack White play himself?
