All for Colbert

TUSCUMBIA - Hundreds of local residents cheered and laughed Wednesday to the grand opening -- and grand closing -- of "The Stephen Colbert Museum and Gift Shop."

The event, which will air in a future episode of Comedy Central's news-program parody, "The Colbert Report," even featured a "never-before scene" from "The Miracle Worker."

Mayor Bill Shoemaker cut the red ribbon to open the museum, with actor Paul Dinello, who plays the role of "Tad" on the show, standing alongside him.

The entire event -- like the show itself -- was done tongue-in-cheek, with the premise that Colbert County was named for the show's host, Stephen Colbert.

Residents, and even the Deshler High School band and Colbert County High School cheerleaders, played along.

Crewmembers admit they were unsure how they'd be received going into the week but were very pleased with the reception.

"It was a bit of a crapshoot," Dinello said, while getting his picture made with fans during a break in taping.

The area's warm and enthusiastic reception soothed those concerns.

"This is beyond our imagination," Dinello said. "We didn't know whether it would be like this, or if we'd be met with an angry old man shaking his fist at us."

Dinello obviously was enjoying his stay. "If this keeps up, I'll never leave."

Production members say the dates the show will air on Comedy Central haven't been determined, but it likely will be within a month.

It is expected to run over two or three shows, with the ultimate joke being the museum's closing, due to lack of interest.

In fact, the "closing" was taped earlier Wednesday, before the "opening."

"The Colbert Report" airs Monday through Thursday at 10:30 p.m. on Comcast channel 66. Reruns of the show air at various times the next day.

Opening ceremonies included filming of Deshler's band marching across a cordoned-off section of Main Street, between Fifth and Sixth streets.

They marched in front of the museum, at 116 Main St. The crowd joined the Colbert County cheerleaders, who played along with a sketch in which Tad corrects them for "mispronouncing" Colbert.

The county's name is pronounced differently from Stephen Colbert's, and it was a running joke throughout the day that whenever the county's name was mentioned, it was pronounced like that of the show's host.

The ceremony also included a scene from "The Miracle Workers (with an "s" at the end)," which is about Tuscumbia's Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. In the touching scene, Keller is at the pump, spelling out her first words: "S-t-e-p-h-e-n C-o-l-b-e-r-t."

The mock museum included a gift shop that had all items "sold out" from the moment it opened.

It also had a cardboard cutout of Colbert and his desk (which actually was a plain table and chair), photos and drawings of Colbert in action and a television monitor that played highlights of his show.

Colbert made a "surprise appearance" via the monitor, to thank the crowd for its support and for making this "one of the happiest moments I've ever prerecorded."

Tad told the crowd the museum would be an economic boost for the city.

He said Colbert would save the city with the attraction.

"On behalf of Stephen Colbert, the Stephen Colbert Museum and Gift Shop, and myself, Tad, I'd like to say, 'You're welcome,' " he proclaimed, to the laughter and applause of the crowd.

"It's not every day I get to save a town, and I know you must appreciate the opportunity for me to do so," he said, playing on the conceitedness that the character Stephen Colbert portrays.

Some in the crowd brought signs, including one asking Colbert to run for president.

Another proclaimed, "Colbert County loves Stephen; Hates Grizzlies," which alludes to an ongoing joke on the show about Colbert's character's supposed hatred toward and fear of bears.

Jason Aderholt, Jessie Cabler and Falon Yates were among those shooting photos with camera phones and cameras while enjoying the event.

"I was hoping for an appearance on the show," said Aderholt, who had a good excuse for being slightly late for the taping.

"I just got through watching 'The Colbert Report' before I came here," he said.

Bernie Delinski can be reached at 740-5739 or bernie.delinski@timesdaily.com.