‘Dukes’ Star Tom Wopat Sits for a Spell With L.A. Philharmonic

Yee-Ha! What’s one of the former “Dukes of Hazzard� stars doing at the Hollywood Bowl tonight--and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, no less?

In Tom Wopat’s case, he’ll be wrapping up a two-evening stint as vocal soloist, performing a roundup of classic Western film and television themes. And while he may be forever stereotyped as good ol’ boy Luke Duke, whom he portrayed in the 1978-85 television series, Wopat, 39, was a singer-musician long before taking up residence in Hazzard County. During the show’s run, he toured with his own band and now spends about two-thirds of the year on the road here and in Europe, singing and playing guitar with his contemporary country-styled Full Moon Band.

Wopat began singing orchestra pops concerts two years ago. “Obviously, this is a lot more ‘legit,’ � he says. “It’s also a lot tougher, because my band pretty much takes its cues from me. In an orchestra situation, I have to really pay attention, because there’s no way the conductor is going to bring the whole orchestra to catch up with me.�

Wopat really went legit during the first six months of this year, when he replaced James Naughton as the hard-boiled detective Stone in the Broadway musical “City of Angels.� He had made his Broadway debut in 1978 in “I Love My Wife,� and in 1986 starred in “Carousel� at the Kennedy Center.

“The vocal production, the training I’ve had applies to everything,� he says of his diverse activities. “ ‘City of Angels’ had swing music of the ‘40s. When I came back here (to Nashville, where he now lives) on my day off to record an album, some swing really helped.�

That album, “Learning to Love,� is Wopat’s fourth; the title cut is his maiden songwriting effort. Another song from the album, “Too Many Honky Tonks (On My Way Home),� is moving up the country charts.

Having starred in two short-lived series post-�Dukes�--�Blue Skies� in 1988 and “Peaceable Kingdom� the following year--Wopat is in no hurry to return to weekly television. “There’s nothing on TV I want to be in,� he says. “Except maybe ‘The Simpsons.’ �