While AIDS and rape normally are not associated with Rihanna, the new musical, “The Awakening: The Hip Hopera,” makes these two terms relevant to the sultry pop icon who has had her own obstacles to overcome. Bringing together two of UW senior Anna Day’s controversial passions, “The Awakening: The Hip Hopera” is sure to ruffle a few feathers this Friday in one of the most innovative ways imaginable.

Meeting at the Lakefront for a recent interview, Day discussed the passions that led to the musical, the creative and production processes and the messages she hopes will reach audiences.

As the co-founder of Project 40/40, Day’s interest in the AIDS pandemic in Uganda takes center stage in her production. The organization works closely with the Clinton HIV/AIDS initiative and strives to pair 40,000 UW students with 40,000 HIV positive Ugandans.

“These people are being systemically deprived of treatment because they can’t afford it,” Day said. “At this point, people aren’t dying of disease. They’re dying of poverty.”

While sentiments of Project 40/40 definitely guided Day in her writing of this musical, there are ties to issues in Madison as well. Day is active in helping women who have been raped and navigates the criminal justice system for them.

“I originally got involved doing casework because members in my sorority were sexually assaulted,” Day said. “Since then I’ve been seeing firsthand all the challenges women face in pressing charges. These women are forced to pursue justice themselves when they shouldn’t have to relive this.”

According to a recent report from the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism , a large percentage of victims do not report being sexually assaulted, hiding how devastatingly prevalent this crime is (“Campus sexual assaults underreported”; March 1, 2010). In the article, statistics suggest there were roughly 750 rapes on the UW campus in 2008, yet only 44 sexual assaults were reported that year to the university.

“There was a nationwide report that came out on unreported sexual assault on campus which, narrowed in on Wisconsin specifically,” Day said. “My heart just goes out to all the silenced women.”

Day began the writing process while studying abroad in Jordan, in between Arabic classes and volunteering in refugee camps. Stuck with the one album she had uploaded to her iPod –Rihanna’s Good Girls Gone Bad — Day made the most out of her situation and finished the story in less than a month. Next, Day had to face the challenge of finding not only sponsorship for her musical, but directors and a cast.

“I ran around like a maniac trying to find a team,” Day joked. “We were really fortunate to work with some outstanding choreographers and directors. As far as the actors, we had a really competitive audition and ended up with an unbelievable cast.”

Packing in several punches, “The Awakening” can be seen as a satire of the idea of “war for peace” with a heavy emphasis on what the women at home are forced to go through.

“The story is definitely told through a feminist perspective. Women and children always pay the highest tolls in any conflict, which is something that we should be furious about rather than accepting of,” Day said.

“I wanted to stress that some things are unforgivable,” Day continued passionately. “Too often women are taught to forgive, to overcome all of these injustices done to them by men.” However, the musical is not meant to apply to only women.

“I wish men could understand that they could be allies. I want them to see that the men committing these crimes make them look bad. I really hope it reaches them as much as it reaches women,” Day said.

While sworn to secrecy on a possible special guest appearance, Day encourages everyone to come to the show.

“It sounds ridiculous because this is a tragedy to Rihanna music, but it works,” she said. “It’s definitely going to be entertaining and upbeat. Politics and social justice are sexy, and you can make a powerful story out of them. You could spend your Friday night here and not feel like you’re missing out.”

“The Awakening: The Hip Hopera” will show Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Tickets are $10.