The Napa Valley Opera House will open its 2006 winter/spring season with an exclusive West Coast-production of A.R. Gurney's "Love Letters," starring Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker, Jan. 12 through 15.

Eikenberry and Tucker, who have been married for more than 30 years and now reside in New York, are best-known for their portrayals of Ann Kelsey and Stuart Markowitz on NBC's long-running hit series "L.A. Law." The former Bay Area residents will return to California for a four-day run of Gurney's play, which chronicles a relationship solely through written correspondence. The story is about Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (Tucker) and Melissa Gardner (Eikenberry) whose poignantly funny friendship and ill-fated romance takes them from second-grade through adolescence and then into maturity and middle age.

By tracing the lifelong correspondence of the staid, dutiful lawyer played by Tucker and the lively, unstable artist portrayed by Eikenberry, their bittersweet relationship gradually unfolds not only from what is written but also from what is left unsaid.

A smash hit both off and on Broadway, "Love Letters" captures Andrew and Melissa with a precision of detail and depth of feeling. The words are both funny and moving, as the audience comes to know both of them intimately, from their strict upbringing through later life political aspirations, love affairs, military service and artistic ambitions.

Gurney discovered the effectiveness of the "Love Letters" presentation when he, along with actress Holland Taylor, read the then-unfinished script in lieu of a speech Gurney was to deliver at the New York Public Library. After a six week run at the Long Wharf Theatre, "Love Letters" was first performed in New York on Feb. 13, 1989, by John Rubinstein and Kathleen Turner.

In such critically acclaimed plays as "The Dining Room" and "The Cocktail Hour," A.R. Gurney has wittily captured the manners of upper-middle class America, but never as gracefully or with such dazzling economy as in "Love Letters."

"Love Letters" has been seen around the world, including a brief stint on Broadway featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards. A cavalcade of stars have performed the piece, including Swoosie Kurtz and Richard Thomas, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, Robert Wagner and Jill St. John, Lauren Bacall and Richard Kiley.

Eikenberry performed in "The Vagina Monologues" Napa last summer at the Opera House. She has an extensive theater career on and off Broadway, including roles in "Beggars Opera," "All Over Town" "Summer Brave," "Uncommon Women," "The Eccentricities of a Nightingale," "Watch on the Rhine," and "Onward Victoria." She was most recently seen Off-Broadway in Manhattan Theater Club's production of "A Picasso."

She made her feature film debut in 1976 in "Between the Lines" and then starred in "Rich Kids," "Butch and Sundance: The Early Days," "Hide in Plain Sight, "Arthur," in which she played Dudley Moore's jilted fiancee and in "The Manhattan Project." Eikenberry next urned to television, starring first in"Swansong,"and then in "Orphan Train" and going on to a variety of television projects.

Recently, Eikenberry completed an independent feature film titled "Manna from Heaven."

Tucker, born and raised in Baltimore, attended Carnegie Tech Drama School where he performed in more than 40 plays. After graduation, Tucker took several acting jobs in theater around the country, ending up in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage. He made his Broadway debut in "Moonchildren" with Eikenberry, and has appeared in "Waiting for Godot," "Mother Courage," "The Rivals," "Trelawny of the Wells," "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Measure for Measure" and "The Comedy of Errors" and "The Tempest" Tucker will star in the Manhattan Theater Club's production of "Based On A Totally True Story" which will open this spring.

Tucker's film credits include Woody Allen's "Radio Days," and "Purple Rose of Cairo," Barry Levinson's "Diner" and "Tin Men," "The Eyes of Laura Mars," "Checking Out," "For Love or Money" "Mighty Ducks II" and "Till There Was You."

His television credits include "Maximum Liability," "Concealed Enemies," "Day One," "Too Young to Die," "Growing up Brady," and the HBO series "Tracey Takes On ..." and "Tracey Takes on New York."

Together, Eikenberry and Tucker have appeared in "Hill Street Blues," "A Family Again," "Assault and Matrimony," "A Town Torn Apart" and "Archie's Wife."

Eikenberry also co-produced a one-hour documentary for NBC titled "Destined to Live," which dealt with the emotional aspects of breast cancer, from diagnosis to recovery. Eikenberry, who battled the disease in 1986, wanted to help spread the message to other women that they were not alone and could recover and lead full and normal lives. Eikenberry said, "Our experience with breast cancer forced us to face the fact that we are going to die one day. The question became, 'How do we want to live?'" "Destined to Live" was honored with a Humanitas Award.

In 1986, Tucker received the Good Guys Award from the National Women's Political Caucus in recognition of his efforts on behalf of numerous cases affecting women. He is also the author of "I Never Forget a Meal: An Indulgent Reminiscence," part memoir, part cookbook.

The four Napa Valley Opera House performances of "Love Letters" run Jan. 12-14 at 8 p.m. and Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets, $35 to $40, are on sale at the Napa Valley Opera House Box Office, 1030 Main St., Napa. They may also be purchased by calling 226-7372 or by logging on to www.nvoh.org.