Honky Tonk Heroes at DCA

The music of country legend Hank Williams comes alive tomorrow night at the Door Community Auditorium 8 pm when Jason Petty brings his show, “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes,” to Fish Creek.

The performance showcases Petty’s uncanny ability to capture the sound of Williams as it takes the audience back to the origins of country music, the pivotal role Williams played in shaping it and his influences on such country legends as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, George Jones and others.

The show is the culmination of the eight years of research as Petty drew from friends, band members, family, biographers and other Opry legends who knew Williams as he tried to grasp the genius of the man as well as the pitfalls that eventually led to his death at age 29. Petty re-creates Williams’ enduring hits such as “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and many more.

Petty will be backed by a four-piece band which will include Door County favorite Eric Lewis.

Petty’s show comes on the heels of his critically acclaimed performance as Williams in the off-Broadway hit “Hank Williams: Lost Highway,” which played to sold out audiences at the Little Shubert Theater. He won rave reviews, including the New York Times, Variety and Rolling Stone. The NY Post stated it best, “At times it seems as if Petty is not just offering an impersonation of Williams, but channeling his ghost.” Another sign of recognition for Petty’s brilliant performance of Hank Williams was being honored with an Obie Award for “Outstanding Actor.”

Tickets for “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes” are $20 and $18, and are available at the Door Community Auditorium box office, by phone at 920.868.2728, or at http://www.dcauditorium.org. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 – 3 pm; weekend show days, 11 – 3 pm; and one hour prior to a performance. The Door Community Auditorium is located in Fish Creek, just north of the town center on Highway 42.