This redneck isn’t yet so enlightened that he appreciate operas. I did once let my Louisiana-bred wife drag me to a performance of “Les Miserables” at National Theater in Washington, D.C., but I certainly wasn’t “less miserable” while watching the show than I was before it began.

That said, I suspect I’d rather enjoy a show created by a Julliard-trained singer whose colleagues once called him “Opera Redneck.” Like any good enlightened redneck, he took the insult and used it as the inspiration for a unique approach to opera: the 3 Redneck Tenors.

Their real names are Matthew Lord (he’s the original Opera Redneck), Alex Bumpas and John Wilkerson. But I like their character names better — Billy Bob, Billy Joe, and Billy Billee. Here’s a short description of the show:

It’s basically a foot stompin’, knee slapin’ uproariously funny musical redneck romp, with the tunes of Elvis to Puccini, Country to Opera (C’opera if you will), from Paris, Texas, all the way to their triumphant debut at New York City’s famous Carn-iggy Hall.

They’ll be performing with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra on New Year’s Eve. Check the schedule if you want to see the show.

I hope they add a stop in the D.C. area. For now, I’ll have to settle for this sample I found on YouTube: