Trio of country music singers will serenade at Honky Tonk Angels

When “Honky Tonk Angels” hits the stage at the Eunice Players’ Theatre for a nine-show run beginning July 15, the trio of country music singers will serenade the audience with the accompaniment of a fine five-piece band headed by the show’s musical director Jimmy Broussard of Crowley on keyboards.
Broussard returns again to the Eunice Players’ Theatre stage for his third stint as the summer musical’s music director. In prior years, he was the musical director of Camelot and Always, Patsy Cline.
He began his theatrical stint on the Eunice stage as Danny in Grease in 1993 and went on to play Jesus in Godspell in 1994. He continued for several years thereafter in various roles at Eunice Players’ Theatre and with the Acadia Players in Crowley where he served for 10 years as board president.
Members of the Honky Tonk band along with Broussard are Jimi Bergeron of Basile, James Bergeron on Opelousas, Bernard Brown of Eunice, and Nicole Bertrand of Eunice.
Jimi Bergeron, who plays lead guitar, has served as band director at North Central High and Church Point High. He was a member of the Basile High marching band for seven years before playing trombone at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with the marching band, concert band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble.
He received his Bachelor of Arts and master’s degrees from UL-L in music and has been performing with the Eunice Community Concert Band for eight years. This is his stage debut with Eunice Players’ Theatre.
James Bergeron is playing rhythm guitar and harmonica with the Honky Tonk band. He taught himself to play guitar at the age of 10 and has been playing ever since.
He was a member of the band and chorus at Church Point High and was band leader with several groups that played at nightclubs throughout the area in the 1960s including The Shadows, Spider and the Cobwebs, and The Cavaliers. Presently, he is band leader for The James Gang. This marks his second venture on the Eunice Players’ Theatre stage. He was a member of the Bodacious Bobcats for Always, Patsy Cline in 2013.
Bernard Brown is the group’s drummer. He has been playing drums for 40 years, playing Rock-n-Roll, Blues Cajun, Swamp Pop, and church music. He was also on stage for “Always, Patsy Cline”, playing drums for the Bodacious Bobcats.
Nicole Bertrand plays fiddle for the Honky Tonkers. She has been playing the instrument for nine years and piano for 11 years.
She is a member of the Eunice Symphony Orchestra and has participated in Cajun Fiddlers and Suzuki Strings and has performed at the LSUE Athletic Banquet, the Boggy Bayou Festival, Cafe Mosaic, and the Liberty.
She was the fiddler for “Always, Patsy Cline” and worked sound for “The 39 Steps” and “Tuna Does Vegas.” She will be a senior at St. Edmund for the upcoming school year where she will perform with the drumline.
Tickets for the “Honky Tonk Angels” are available at David’s Hair Ltd. on Second Street and Charming Interiors on W. Laurel.
The show opens July 15 with a 7 p.m. curtain and continues on July 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, and 25. The July 19 show is at 2 p.m. Dinner theatre is July 22 with the meal being served at 6 p.m.