Tom Wopat as Schiller

Critically acclaimed and Tony-nominated singer and actor TOM WOPAT celebrated the 100th birthday of composer Harold Arlen with the February 2005 release of DISSERTATION ON THE STATE OF BLISS, a collection of Arlen favorites and rarities. In early 2005, Wopat embarked on a 33-date national tour, launched in West Palm Beach, Florida and wrapping up in Palm Desert, California. The "Over The Rainbow" tour, with Faith Prince, featured Arlen's songs from "The Wizard of Oz", among others, and made a stop at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall.

Meanwhile, Wopat appeared as the lead in "Chicago", and returned to Broadway in March for his first dramatic role there, starring alongside Alan Alda, Jeffrey Tambor and Liev Schreiber in David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross".

On the new album -- DISSERTATION ON THE STATE OF BLISS -- his ninth overall, Wopat delivers infectiously jazzy interpretations of Harold Arlen Songs including "Accentuate The Positive", "Over The Rainbow", "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "If I Only Had A Brain". "The performance is all about the song," says Wopat. "It's not about me. The singer's job is to establish the mood and tell the story of the song."

Wopat first started singing and dancing in high school musicals, and studied music at the University of Wisconsin before making his television debut in 1978. He starred in -- and directed -- several episodes of the popular "Dukes of Hazzard", playing Luke Duke in the show, which ran from 1979-1985. After the series ended, Wopat made his triumphant return to Broadway ("Annie Get Your Gun"), and continued to appear on television ("Cybill", "Home Improvement", and hosting his own show on TNN/The Nashville Network).

Wopat's recording career started in 1983 with his self-titled country album. Since then, he released six other country albums before the 2000 album, THE STILL OF THE NIGHT, which introduced fans to his love of standards.

In a "New York Times" review (1/19/02) of his cabaret show "Arci's Place", Stephen Holden said, "...he applies his virile baritone to popular standards with a quiet, open-hearted deliberation. On the cabaret stage, Mr. Wopat conveys the same laid-back, utterly unaffected naturalness that makes his album so appealing... [Wopat] clearly knows whereof he sings." In the "New York Observer", Rex Reed said, "With his warm, strong baritone and easy soft-spoken manner, Mr. Wopat is no longer a roughneck from 'The Dukes of Hazzard'. Cleanly shaved, trendy and tailored in black, he's still rugged but clean-cut, manly but sensitive, and ready to explore the more intimate and romantic side of his likable personality... With Tom Wopat, you get cool tunes, manly grace, the scent of Musk and Gary Cooper getting in touch with his delicate side in 'High Noon', all rolled into one. That's more than I've seen on one cabaret stage in many a donkey's year. Do not miss him. This is a real revelation."