Parton, friends tape TV program

Photo by Alexx Henry Photography

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers reprise “Islands In the Stream” on Friday for the taping of a television special to air July 3 on the Hallmark Channel.

PIGEON FORGE - Dolly Parton had an odd request for the audience.

"Act like you never saw me," she said.

As she put it, she "screwed up" some of the lyrics to the tune "My Mountain" during the first take of the song, which needed to be flawless since it was being shot during filming of her latest television special. So Parton did the song again and asked the audience, seated outside during the early afternoon at Dollywood on Friday, to pretend like the next take was all new to them.

With enthusiastic applause, they did.

In two days, Parton, with the help of guests Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus, was able to record the hour-long program, titled "Dolly Celebrates 25 Years of Dollywood," which will air July 3 on the Hallmark Channel. The special will celebrate the theme park's silver anniversary, with memories from Parton and packed with several musical numbers.

"A few years back, we knew we wanted to do a TV special about the 25th anniversary, and we knew we wanted to get people who had performed here at Dollywood over those 25 years," Parton said in an exclusive interview Thursday.

"Just so happens we could get Kenny, Billy Ray and Miley. Kenny and I are like an old married couple. Miley is so hot right now, and Billy Ray, well, he's just plain hot to me."

An early wish list of guests included Taylor Swift (who had to decline because of other obligations) and Alison Krauss, who performed at Dollywood during the days before she had any major hits.

Dollywood did not advertise the special was being filmed Friday to keep from having a mob scene. Also, a virtual media blackout was imposed.

The production was shot at a whirlwind pace. The Cyruses were only at Dollywood Friday for six hours; Rogers arrived Wednesday. On Thursday morning, he and Parton performed "Islands In The Stream" near Dollywood's River Rampage Ride before the theme park opened to guests.

The bulk of the shooting was done on Friday, when the Cyruses arrived. They all sang on a large wooden stage, constructed just for the special and near Dollywood's Valley Fair area.

Parton and Billy Ray Cyrus sang "Daddy Was An Old Time Preacher Man." With Miley Cyrus, Parton reworked her signature tune "Jolene" - with the twist being about "an older woman and a younger woman fighting over the same man," Parton told the audience. The "Jolene" re-imagining turned out to be an audience favorite, with Miley Cyrus's husky voice adding an aggressiveness against Parton's tearful and high-pitched pleading.

Rogers, who brought his twin 6-year-old boys along to see the taping, sang "I Will Always Love You" with Parton.

"I've always said I was the first act to come here and perform 25 years ago," Rogers said Thursday. "When I came back (Wednesday), I was amazed by how much Pigeon Forge had grown and changed, and a lot of that is due to Dollywood."

Later, Parton and the Cyruses held a guitar pull in an attic above the Chasing Rainbows museum. They sang "Romeo," a 1994 hit for Parton and Billy Ray Cyrus. Parton asked Miley Cyrus if she'd ever heard of the song since she was not yet 2 years old when the song was a hit.

"Oh yeah," Miley Cyrus said to Parton. "I used to dance to the video all the time when I was a kid."

The attic scene was mainly a conversation among Parton and the Cyruses.

The elder Cyrus sang "Achy Breaky Heart."

Wearing a Tennessee cap and a Tennessee Volunteers T-shirt, Billy Ray Cyrus talked about how Parton was a great help to him early in his career. He was one of the first celebrity guests Parton invited to perform at Dollywood years ago.

Of her dad's Tennessee cap, which he bought Friday at Dollywood, Miley Cyrus quipped, "Yeah. He'll probably wear it every day!"

Billy Ray Cyrus also showed Parton a necklace given to him by local Cherokee Indians back in 1993 when he first visited Dollywood.

"I've kept it all these years," he told Parton.

Miley Cyrus also did her fair share of shopping while waiting to go on to perform. She purchased a purse and a T-shirt among other items.

"I'll give you a discount on that since you're a guest," Parton said.

"On second thought, you should pay full price. You can afford it."

Terry Morrow may be reached at morrowt@knoxville.com or 865-342-6445.

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