Profound songwriting fills Chicagoland premiere of “Almost Heaven: John Denver’s America”

Photos provided by Guy Rhodes

As far as the folk community goes, John Denver is one of America’s leading troubadours, though with over two decades since his untimely passing, those contributions have quietly faded into the rearview mirror.

Thankfully that’s no longer the case now that “Almost Heaven: John Denver’s America,” written and adapted by Peter Glazer and directed by Linda Fortunato, made its Chicagoland premiere at Theatre At The Center, recalling the wordsmith’s simple yet profound manner of connecting with crowds anywhere on earth.

Though Steven Romero Schaeffer technically embodies the titular character, he’s joined by Shannon McEldowney, Andrew Mueller, Sara Geist and Tommy Malouf, who all share the lead vocals, lend harmonies, play instruments and take turns reading a series of letters penned by fans and family that fuel a narrative weaved around his most meaningful works.

Along the ascent to a “Rocky Mountain High” (that was purely natural and not drug-induced as was often implied), the audience learns he’s a genuine musician with zero interest in celebrity and seems more content in baring his soul on record than face to face.

That latter fact becomes the source for his rich songbook, though it may have contributed to a pair of divorces, including one that’s followed by a pair of drunk driving arrests.

None of these hurdles are given more than a cursory glance through a means of press conference-styled questioning, which puts “Almost Heaven” in the primarily celebratory category, rather than being a thorough behind-the-scenes examination.

However, that has no bearing on anyone’s ability to enjoy lovely performances of “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Thank God I’m A Country Boy,” “Annie’s Song” or “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” which unfold alongside a verbal time machine that touches on the Vietnam War, being an alternative voice in the Woodstock era and collaborating with The Muppets.

There’s also no mention of Denver’s death via the crash of his personally operated plane, but fans are given a chilling rendition of the swansong “Yellowstone, Coming Home” as assurance he was on the road to recovery and ready to reconnect with the close-knit community cultivated as a result of his compositions.

“Almost Heaven: John Denver’s America” continues at the Theatre At The Center through Mar. 22. For additional details, visit TheatreAtTheCenter.com.