Actor Robert Picardo knew that being part of the Star Trek television franchise would be a long-term commitment.

There would be conventions and shipboard cruises with fans. But he might not have guessed his role as the doctor on Star Trek Voyager would lead him to the stage of Centre in the Square performing with the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony.

On June 2 and 3, the symphony will present Star Trek: The Music, hosted by Picardo and John de Lancie, formerly the omnipotent character Q.

In a phone interview from New York City, the witty and multi-talented Picardo ponders the phenomena that is Star Trek, his love of space and why the heck destiny seems so determined to turn him into a doctor.

As a student, Picardo had nearly completed two years of pre-med at Yale University where he was also part of an a capella singing group when met Leonard Bernstein and his life took an abrupt turn.

The great conductor saw a musical spark in the young man and encouraged him to switch to drama. He did, but the universe wasn't about to let him off doctoring quite yet.

Picardo played a doctor on the Vietnam War series China Beach and there was his character on Voyager, known simply as Doctor plus he had several appearances in episodes of Deep Space 9 as the doctor.

It was on the set of Star Trek that he met de Lancie and the two musically talented men started "a slightly needling but affectionate" friendship.

Together, they began a musical collaboration with a man Picardo calls "the brilliant Erich Kunzel" the American conductor who held the rights to all the Star Trek music and envisioned bringing the music to the public in an orchestral setting.

"He wanted to make it into a coherent musical concert," said Picardo. "You could quibble about the choice of scores, but those choices were made by Erich Kunzel. I'm merely the thespian."

De Lancie and Picardo wrote a script, introducing the music chronologically and the result was a unique musical experience for audience members: the two hosts, explaining the music with the orchestra playing the scores. This is only Star Trek: The Music sixth performance and the third in Canada since it launched in 2007.

Picardo anticipates the Kitchener audience will have a few Star Trek fans and if any show up in costume, he's hoping for some "Andorian slave girls."

As for the music, he said the audience can expect "heroic and fiery" with passages that will inspire everyone to battle. "It elevates you. You don't have to be a Star Trek fan or even a science fiction fan to enjoy the music. It has a broad appeal."

With Star Trek never far from his heart, Picardo has moved forward in his career. This month the psychological thriller Sensored, a direct to DVD movie in which he starred, will be released and he is also in rehearsal for a Broadway production of Rocket Boy, based on the story of a boy growing up in a coal mining town who dreams of space flight.

"Hopefully I return to Broadway after a short 30 year absence," he quipped.

Picardo is also a member of the Planetary Society (www.planetary.org) an organization that is about to launch a functioning solar sail into space.

"The solution to our future problems on earth will inevitably come from beyond," he said. It seems that was also the solution to Picardo's future.

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

Star Trek: The Music

Co-hosted by John de Lancie and Robert Picardo

Conducted by John Morris Russell

June 2 & 3, 8 p.m., Centre in the Square

Post concert meet and greet with the hosts

Call: 519-745-4711 or toll free 888-745-4717

Online: kwsymphony.ca