Photo by Tony Duvall
Back Home Again: On the Road with John Denver takes a behind-the-scenes look at touring with one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters through song and storytelling as told by a friend and fellow musician.
Dan Wheetman spent eight years with Denver playing fiddle to singing back up. And this nearly two-hour revue celebrates the beloved singer and songwriter through songs familiar and unknown.
The storyline plays out chronologically and what it lacks in dramatic punch it entertains through the sing-along aspects of the hits (yes, they’re all there) and the stellar musicianship of David Lutken (seen in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Woody Sez) and the perfectly countrified vocals of Katie Deal (in her Rep debut).
Lutken and Deal complement each other quite well, playing the husband/wife couple through good times and bad, nicely illustrated through song and even some fancy footwork. As we hear the opening strains of “My Sweet Rocky Mountain Paradise” at the beginning of the show, we come to learn that life on the road is anything but. But the music remains the sweet spot throughout the journey.
Through Nov. 8 in the Stackner Cabaret at the Patty and Jay Baker Complex, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
