Kristin Chenoweth Open To Playing Dolly Parton On Broadway, Talks Bullying Element Of New Show ‘GCB’

Kristin Chenoweth has two words for Dolly Parton – “Hurry up!”

On Monday, CNN quoted the country legend once again saying she would love for the pint-sized star to play her in a Broadway musical about the singer’s life, and on Tuesday after Kristin finished a panel to promote her new ABC show “GCB” at the Television Critics Association Winter Session in Pasadena, the actress and Tony winner said Dolly should get a move on.

“Yesterday I heard she said that I should play her again, it all started with her saying that many years ago and of course I want to play her, but she better freakin’ hurry up and write it!” Kristin told reporters after the panel.

“I’d love to play her. What’s not to love about her,” Kristin continued of the legend, also a Southern, petite blonde, with big talent. “I love her, she knows how I feel about her and I’d love to play her.”

Right now, Kristin has a midseason show on her plate – “GCB” – where she plays Carlene Cockburn, queen bee of Dallas, who torments her former high school bully — Leslie Bibb’s Amanda Vaughn — when Leslie’s character returns back to the Texas city, following a divorce.

And Kristin knows a thing or two about being bullied.

“There was a daily horror of a person who said she just wanted to beat me up because I was so happy and I just kept telling her I’m not worth the punch,” Kristin said after the panel, referring to her school days. “I’ve had people say not such nice things about me, but that’s OK, that’s their opinion.”

The new show pairs her up with former “Jag” star David James Elliott, who plays her husband Ripp Cockburn, and it will keep her from tangling once again with Matthew Morrison’s Will Schuester on “Glee.”

“This is my main priority now,” Kristin said. “April Rhodes has been a blast to play. I mean, she is a has-been drunk so that’s fun, but Carlene has her own problems.”

“GCB” premieres Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 10 PM EST/PST on ABC.