On stage with...Tom Wopat
Saturday, September 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Order tickets now for the best seating locations!
Three easy ways to purchase tickets:
Phone: 312.922.2110 ext. 300 (for single tickets and groups)
Online: ticketmaster.com
In person: Auditorium Box Office, 50 E. Congress Parkway (open Monday-Friday, noon-6 p.m)
Q&A with Tom Wopat, continued.
ATRU: What should the audience expect to hear and see during your Cabaret?
TW: Love Swings is very entertaining and filled with many different styles of music fused together. My show is a combination of pop tunes and standards from the American Songbook. It’s a real mixture of different stuff. Although there are some unique songs; the audience will be familiar with most of what they hear. You’ll hear a few original tunes, and I’ll also sing a song from one of my latest shows, Catch Me If You Can, which just made its world premiere in Seattle, Washington, and will be making its Broadway debut next year.
ATRU: What is the inspiration for your Cabaret show, Love Swings?
TW: I’ve had my Cabaret show for 10 years now and originally it was inspired by my first record, The Still Of The Night which was released in 2000. My 2005 release, Dissertation On The State Of Bliss, is a tribute to Harold Arlen. They are both introspective records, a little more moody – especially the first one – and extremely romantic. I wanted a hotter record – something sassier for my latest record, Consider It Swung. So basically, my new record swings much harder than the last two.
ATRU: Tell us about what it was like playing Luke Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard.
TW: It was like being on a hit TV show! It’s actually very interesting to have been a part of something that took on a life of its own and continues to develop so many different lives. Being on the show was a lot of fun and I’m still great friends with many members of the original cast.
ATRU: Can you tell us about some of your latest projects?
TW: I played the character Tom Hurley in a show last year called A Catered Affair, which was about an overbearing Bronx mother who lives vicariously through her daughter by pressuring her into having the grand wedding she never had. That was pretty terrific! I’m also working on a movie, Main Street, which is an on-screen adaptation of playwright Horton Foote’s Main Street USA. The film is a drama is about the lives of five residents in a small Southern town dealing with today's challenges. The film explores each of these characters and how they search for ways to reinvent themselves, their relationships and the very heart of their town.
ATRU: What was your most memorable “fan” experience?
TW: I think the time we went to a “Dukes” event in Nashville, Tennessee – 75,000 people showed up for a two day event. It was an intense and crazy experience to see all those people come out for that.
ATRU: You’ve assumed a wide range of challenging roles throughout the years. Which have been the most demanding?
TW: Playing James Lingk in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross back in 2005 was very challenging – but it’s an amazing piece! I also enjoyed playing Tom Hurley last year in A Catered Affair. Basically, I find the roles that portray really deep, emotional characters on stage are the most challenging and satisfying.
ATRU: What is the most difficult part about transitioning from performing in a live production versus on a television set?
TW: You need the same skills for both styles of acting but in different ways…it’s sort of like baking a cake versus baking brownies. You need the same skill set, but you have to use them in different proportions. The biggest difference between film and stage is you spend a lot of time – sometimes 10 or 12 hours on set - creating tiny bits and pieces of a character. In theatre, you may only work three or four hours a day, but you’ll probably spend the entire time working on enhancing your character.
