I was somewhat dubious going into "The Color Purple." I had never read the Alice Walker book, or seen the 1980's Steve Spielberg film adaptation, but I did know the broad strokes of the story: quasi-incest, teen pregnancy, possible infanticide, terrible physical and emotional abuse, racism, etc. So when the commercials and ads touted the show as "uplifting," I was puzzled - that's hardly the stuff Hallmark cards are made of. However, any doubts I had were erased near the end of the first act, as I watched lead character Celie begin to come to life and accept herself for the very first time. If I have ever experienced a more honestly joyful moment in the theater, I certainly can't remember it.

The production of "The Color Purple" currently playing at the Auditorium Theatre is indeed uplifting. It is also beautiful, soulful, and wonderfully staged. A uniformly excellent cast brings to life an important American literary work, and while the music isn't as catchy as some other Broadway shows, it does its job by making an already emotional story even more powerful.

"The Color Purple" tells the story of Celie, a poor black woman we first meet at age 14, pregnant for the second time by the man who raised her. Shortly after giving birth, her child is taken away from her - just like the first one - and Celie logically believes them both to be dead. The only source of joy in Celie's life is her little sister, Nettie, who is ripped away from her after Celie is essentiallysold by her father to a cruel man known only as Mister. Mister treats Celie as his slave, forcing her to work all day and night, and abusing her emotionally, physically, and sexually, going so far as to convincing Celie that Nettie is dead.

Celie quietly resigns herself to a life of seemingly endless tragedy, until she meets two women who show her a different way to live. Strong-willed Sofia marries Mister's son, Harpo, and when Harpo tries to lay a hand on her he gets more than one back for his trouble. Meanwhile, Mister's former lover, the over-sexed lounge singer Shug Avery, blows back into town, and awakens in Celie a whole host of feelings she never experienced before.

Trying to single out specific members of the cast is almost pointless. This is probably the strongest ensemble I've ever seen in a RBTL show, possibly any theater show ever. I don't think there was a bad note sung the entire night. Each voice topped the last, from the trio of church ladies who serve as a kind of Greek chorus for the first half of the production, to the booming male ensemble, and especially with the leads.

Those lead roles are all perfectly cast. As Sofia, Felicia P. Fields commands attention from the minute she steps on stage, bouncing along the backdrop on the way to see her sweetheart, and she mines all the comic momentum from her signature phrase, "Hell, no!" Angela Robinson's Shug knows the difference between sexy and slutty, and has a laid-back magnetism that recalls a silent film siren. Nettie is played by La Toya London, best known for coming in fourth in "American Idol's" third season. Her voice captivated me then, and it is even more incredible live. My only complaint is that Nettie is out of the picture for most of the production; I would have liked to have seen - and especially hear - more from her.

Rochester native Kenita R. Miller portrays Celie, and the performance she turns in is the stuff legends are made of. Miller is a tiny, tiny woman, but possesses a voice - and a soul - many times the size of her body. And it's not just her piercing voice that deserves notice; as an actress, she's equally believable playing 14 or 54. If she can keep up work like this, Miller will soon join the ranks of Rochester's big-name arts exports.

The only flaws with the show are with the play itself, not the performance. The songs, which dip into jazz, blues, gospel, and a little bit of jive, are decent, but largely unremarkable. Only one, maybe two (specifically "Push Da Button") leave any real lasting impression. Meanwhile, the second act lags a bit, as it pulls away from Celie's story to wrap up plotlines for the supporting cast. That's necessary, since the play is about the larger African-American experience in the early 20th century American South. But when you have such a powerful main character arc, and such a riveting performer in Miller, any time Celie's not on stage seems like time wasted.

"The Color Purple"

Through October 11

Rochester Broadway Theatre League

Auditorium Theatre, 875 E Main St.

$30-$60 | 232-1900, rbtl.org