Poverty, disease, war, oppression and sexual assault are just some of the incredibly complex issues in ""The Awakening: The Hip-Hopera,"" a new hip-hop musical featuring music by Rihanna.
The show follows a family forced to cope with these travesties in modern Uganda. ""It's a heartbreaking history of a third-world country,"" producer and playwright UW senior Anna Day said.
The show is told from a women's feminist perspective. ""I personally believe that women and children endure the worst conflict in war and poverty... and oftentimes, movies are told from a male perspective,"" Day said.
Inspiration for the musical's title came from Kate Chopin's novel of the same name, which features challenging 1800s societal conventions and promoting feminism.
""The Awakening"" also presents the characters' sexual assault as a representation of what is typically kept quiet in U.S. society, including that of UW-Madison, to increase understanding of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Day does case work for sorority women who have been sexually assaulted by fraternity members and other men on campus, providing emotional support and legal options. According to the UW chapter of PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment), one in four women will experience rape or attempted rape during their time in college.
The show uses songs from Rihanna's 2007 release, Good Girl Gone Bad. Day described that Rihanna's abusive relationship with Chris Brown, which surfaced during the musical's pre-production, was not unlike typical casework she does for Madison residents. ""But it's not talked about when it happens to women on campus. People can relate to what she went through,"" she said.
Despite the show's explorations of life-devastating themes, Director Charlie Bauer thinks audiences will walk away with a powerfully positive message. ""It's a show about changing patterns of behavior... it's a show about change,"" he said. ""It can say that these are the sins of the past and the present but they aren't the sins of the future.""
The cast plays an integral role in emanating this lesson and stopping victim mentality. ""Every woman in this cast is strong as a person, and that comes through in their characters in the way they dance, the way they sing... to show that they can break the cycle, and have dignity and pride,"" Bauer said.
Bauer hopes the musical will not only cathartically inform and move its audiences, but also prompt proactive action. ""After you see the show, you should do something. If you know someone who's been a victim of abuse, you should talk to a battered women's shelter, you should find out who to contribute to, who you can help. And someone who's in your life who's raped another person—you have to decide if you're going to be brave enough to not push that under the rug.""
The show will raise funds for the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative through Project 40/40, which pairs UW's 40,000 students with 40,000 Ugandans suffering from HIV.
It is also sponsored by the All Campus Party, Hip Hop As A Movement Week, Greek Week, as well as 60 other businesses and campus organizations.
""The Awakening: The Hip-Hopera"" will be performed at the Wisconsin Historical Society on Friday Apr. 23 and Saturday Apr. 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10.
