Published: February 12, 2008 08:40 am      

Colonel takes center stage

By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer

Things got underway at Monday’s meeting of the Corbin Tourism Commission to bring a musical of Corbin’s most famous resident to life.

“The Colonel Sanders Story” is being written by Bo List and composed by Christopher Tolliver. The proposed large-scale, outdoor musical would take place in Corbin and would be a biographical play of the life of Col. Harland Sanders.

List, a native of Lexington, said aside from having his own secret recipe for fried chicken Sanders possessed heroic qualities, such as working with poor and orphaned children, pioneering the highway system in the area and standing up for senior citizens’ right to work, which deserve celebration.

“What excites me about this is before he was the face on a bucket of chicken, he was a hero in this community,” he said. “I can think of a no more colorful character when the state, and the nation for that matter, is wanting to get in touch with its heroes. I think Col. Sanders is someone worth celebrating and is uniquely a Corbin success story, and is uniquely a national success story for that matter.”

Those involved foresee the musical as a annual, outdoor event during the summer and performed at an outdoor amphitheater in Corbin.

However, before work can begin on the construction of an outdoor amphitheater, a feasibility study must be conducted. The study, which would be conducted by the Institute of Outdoor Drama and estimated to cost between $16,500 to $20,000, takes into account a profile of the community to see if there would be ample support for the event.

“The feasibility study will be an invaluable tool in just finding out if it’s viable,” List said.

Corbin Main Street Manager Sharae Myers was on hand to seek approval of a grant from the tourism commission to aid in the funding of the study. The grant, through the Center For Rural Development, may award up to $20,000 but a 20 percent cash match is required by the community. Interest from the members of the commission was evident, as they unanimously approved the motion regarding the grant application.

“Mr. List, you certainly have us excited about this,” said Chairman Don Estep.

“It will transform Corbin if we can pull this off,” said board member Suzie Razmus.

List was confident that Corbin could support such an event and the area would benefit greatly from the production. He cited the outdoor play “Tecumseh!,” held in Ohio, as an example of such an outdoor production. While it costs approximately $1.3 million to stage, it usually takes in around $10 million for the economy of its community.

In other business, the commission tabled the request for lighting funds at the Corbin soccer fields and a pledge for lighting at the tennis courts located at Corbin High School. Estep said more research is needed before the request will be revisited, although the deadline for a pledge from the commission for the tennis court lighting is Feb. 21.

Also, items were donated to be displayed in the Tourism Community Room until a railroad museum is put into place. While these items came from an anonymous donor, they were given in honor of Joshua Paul William Walker Eaton.