There's enough material for at least two shows packed into "The Color Purple," the 2005 musical that had a good run on Broadway and is now enjoying a dynamic production by the ambitious company ArtsCentric.
The creative team — book by Marsha Norman; music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray — crammed as much incident as possible into this adaptation of the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker. And that novel has a lot of incident.
Walker spun an absorbing story about a severely oppressed and repressed African-American woman named Celie, a story that inspired the 1985 Steven Spielberg film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey and Danny Glover.
Celie's experiences over the course of 40 years include the bearing of children, in her early teens, from someone she knows as Pa; a forced marriage with an abusive man; unexpected solace and more in the embrace of a woman; and, ultimately, a path toward unaccustomed independence and self-respect.
You can't help but wish that the musical treatment of "The Color Purple" were more tightly focused on any one of those chapters in Celie's remarkable life.
There's barely time for the full meaning of one event to register before the next begins; Act 2 episodes set in Africa, where Celie's beloved sister, Nettie, is a missionary, feel especially rushed and awkward. Only so much characterization is possible under the circumstances.
The trick is to make each moment communicate vividly, both through dialogue and the song-packed score. For the most part, ArtsCentric manages to do just that.
Some members of the large cast are stronger at acting than singing, or vice versa; a few are self-conscious. But director Kevin S. McAllister nonetheless succeeds at molding a cohesive effort that hits key moments effectively and, at its best, generates a satisfying emotional pull.
Dayna Marie Quincy, who played Nettie in a recent national tour of "The Color Purple," offers a telling portrayal of Celie.
Although largely a one-note assignment (Celie is withdrawn and passive until well into the second act), Quincy manages to add more layering to the character. And, except when pushing the voice too hard, she sings with considerable expressive impact.
Tierra Strickland does vibrant work as Shug Avery, the lounge singer who offers Celie the first tenderness she has known. Strickland and Quincy hit the spot, vocally and interpretively, in the Act 1-closing duet "What About Love," one of the strongest numbers in an uneven score.
As Mister, Celie's soulless husband and Shug's former lover, Tyrone Requer could use a little more nuance and, in his solo song, a little sturdier technique. But his performance has a potent edge. Raquel Gregory-Jennings shows promise as Nettie.
Latisha Hamilton likewise makes an impact as Sofia, whose determination to make her own choices in life helps plant a seed in Celie, and really rocks the place with her account of the "Hell No" anthem. Te'ron Prioleau brings a good deal of charm to the role of Sofia's ever-so-slightly cowed husband Harpo.
Andrea Robinson, Crystal Freeman and Deana Cruz have a fun romp as the Church Ladies, a kind of catty Greek chorus. And Joy Dobson sings up a storm as the Church Soloist.
Kinetic choreography by Shalyce Hemby is executed with considerable discipline and panache by the ensemble. A small band led by Cedric D. Lyles provides firm support throughout; the only false notes are some cheesy synthesized ones.
Costumes and lighting add much in the way of atmosphere to the otherwise minimal staging at the Boston Street Theatre, where ArtsCentric made its new home this season.
The venue is a bit on the dingy side, but you can see the possibilities. And this company, which has helped to boost (not to mention diversify) Baltimore's community theater scene since 2003, seems likely to fulfill that potential.