In Light Of Assault Charges, Overture Center Cuts Ties With Actor Tom Wopat

The Overture Center for the Arts in Madison has cut ties with actor Tom Wopat, the namesake of their annual high school musical theater awards show.

Wopat, a Wisconsin native, is facing multiple charges of indecent assault. He allegedly groped an adult woman during rehearsals for a performance of “42nd Street” at a theater in Massachusets. After pleading not guilty to that charge and a charge of cocaine possession, he was released on bail and later charged with indecent assault of a 16-year-old cast member.

The Tommy Awards, named for Wopat, are a state-wide awards program for high school musical theater. While the program’s name will not be changed at this time, Wopat’s signature will be removed from the promotional materials. During the 2016-17 school year, 82 schools in 23 Wisconsin counties participated in the Tommy Awards.

Wopat was born in Lodi and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He went on to star in “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and in plays and musicals on Broadway.

In a statement, the Overture Center said all ties to Wopat have been severed and discussion for the award program’s name is “moving forward.” According to the statement, Wopat has neither participated or supported the program financially since it was named after him in 2009.

“Overture firmly believes the arts provide a safe haven for all to participate and enjoy inspirational experiences without fear or compromise of respect for others,” Ted DeDee, Overture Center president and CEO, said in the statement. “We will especially continue to focus on providing a positive environment and influence for students and schools of Wisconsin.”

Meghan Randolph, founder and executive director of Music Theatre of Madison, spoke out about the allegations on Facebook before the Overture Center’s announcement Monday. The severing of ties alone isn’t sufficient, she said. She would like to see the awards program’s name changed as well.

“That’s sort of what happened with Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby,” she said. “People sort of shrugged it off.”

The time has come to stop doing that, Randolph continued.

“We have an opportunity to say to the next generation of performers and artists, ‘This is not acceptable, we’re taking a stand against it.’”

Last month, the Janesville Performing Arts Center cancelled a performance by Wopat, citing similar concerns.