Photo: Paul Kolnik

It’s summer, which means it’s time for glossy, eye-popping, multi-million dollar blockbusters. And those aren’t just limited to movie screens. The touring production of the wildly popular, multiple Tony-nominated musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s now-classic novel The Color Purple is in D.C. for the next month, and is just as jaw-dropping a spectacle as anything Hollywood has in store.

Not that Hollywood doesn’t play its part here. The musical is as much an adaptation of Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film as Walker’s novel, taking its cues from that movie for what plot points to cut, de-emphasize, or change. The result is, even moreso than the film, a brief overview of the novel, Cliff Notes set to music. And no wonder: the story covers 40 years in the life of Celie Harris, a poor African American girl born into poverty, grown into incestuously-conceived teen pregnancy, and sold to an abusive husband, before finally finding herself and her power in middle age. This epic sweep, with multiple storylines taking place on two continents, must be condensed to fewer than three hours. And being that we have millions of dollars in production costs to recoup for those gorgeous sets, and the hugely talented cast of actors, singers, and dancers, the raw, rough, and at sometimes shocking events of the source material need to be cleaned and buffed for a little greater audience appeal.

As a result, fans of the book may find themselves disappointed at what’s missing, and even more at the lack of time to reflect on events that the book provides. As the lights dim in the Kennedy Center Opera House, every person there is strapped onto the nose of a rocket and hurtled headlong through those 40 years. If your attention slips, or you miss a lyric, you may find yourself a little lost. Even in a survey of the material, there’s a lot of story points to hit, and the plot speeds along fast and furious. The ride is so thrilling, it’s easy to forget what’s been left behind. It’s disappeared in the rearview before you can even glance back, so best just to keep eyes forward and let the production rush at you.