Craig needs ideas, but he might need more than local talent to save The Randy Parton Theatre.

The theater, which has seen sagging sales since it opened in July, is for now without its namesake. Last week, Roanoke Rapids officials asked Parton to leave before a performance, saying he had been drinking. Parton denied the claim; his attorney said he was ready to perform.

Now there's a legal dispute between the two sides. The city hired a lawyer Tuesday to represent its interests. Parton's future is unclear.

Craig's company, UGL Unicco, was brought in last month to generate ticket sales. The company will release details about new acts "almost weekly over the next three or four months," said Craig, UGL Unicco's senior director for business development. "We're trying to reach out and find out what sells."

This week, UGL Unicco released a list of 17 performances it has scheduled through June, including The Drifters and The Gatlin Brothers. The "Carolina Christmas" show that Parton once starred in continues through Dec. 22. Wednesday's matinee sold out.

The city is counting on UGL Unicco.

Roanoke Rapids is on the hook for $21.5 million that it borrowed to build the theater and get it running. It has to make monthly payments, no matter the fate of the theater. It has been doing so out of a reserve account.

The theater cost $12.9 million to build. Much of the remaining money went into reserve accounts. The city has been paying from a $1.5 million fund intended to get it through the first year, said Melinda Hite, Roanoke Rapids' finance director.

But the city needs ticket sales to sustain the payments once the account is depleted.

Craig said his company wants to book a variety of performances, including R&B singers and stage productions, that will appeal to people living within 200 miles of Roanoke Rapids.

And it wants to make sure they know that The Randy Parton Theatre is an option.

UGL Unicco has boosted the marketing budget "dramatically," Craig said, "considering it was zero before."

It plans to spend $500,000 a year on advertisements to reach potential visitors. It is also seeking sponsorships -- with beverage companies, for example -- that could increase its reach.

"Our goals are pretty simple: Provide an entertainment option, pay the bills and make a profit," Craig said.

If UGL Unicco fails to generate enough money to pay the bond debt, there's a backup plan:

* The city next would use the property taxes generated from the 123-acre Carolina Crossroads entertainment district. That's the broader development that includes The Randy Parton Theatre as its centerpiece. City leaders ultimately envision a Branson, Mo.-style destination with other attractions, hotels and restaurants.

* If it still came up short, Roanoke Rapids could divert citywide sales taxes toward paying the debt, Hite said. And in case that's still not enough, it has another reserve account with almost $2 million of borrowed funds to carry it through.

The final option would be taking money from the general tax base.

"We don't plan on doing that," said City Manager Phyllis Lee.

Of course, there's always those mamas and their talented offspring.