Yo, la peor del mundo is a theatrical musical directed by Olga Margallo. A musical based on the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th century Mexican writer and poetess; a woman ahead of her time, who had to spend her life cloistered in the service of the clergy in order to be able to pursue her artistic interests. With a beautiful dramatic text by Antonio Muñoz de Mesa and an energetic original music by Iñaki Salvador, this musical tells us about the repeated denial of women by the patriarchal system. For centuries and centuries, this world has questioned the worth, gender and identity of women; something that was happening in the 17th century, just as it is happening today.
Yo, la peor del mundo stars Itxaso Quintana, Nerea Gorriti, Ylenia Baglietto, Ana Pimenta and Ugaitz Alegria. This theatrical musical will be on the programme of the Centro Cultural de La Villa Fernán Gómez in Madrid until 29 May.
Review of 'Yo la peor del mundo' (Me, the worst in the world)
Technical specifications
Title: Yo, la peor del mundo
Original title: Yo, la peor del mundo
Cast:
Ugaitz Alegria
Nerea Gorriti
Ylenia Baglietto
Ana Pimenta
Itxaso Quintana
Duration: 75 min. approx.
Direction: Olga Margallo
Dramaturgy and lyrics: Antonio Muñoz de Mesa
Musical direction: Iñaki Salvador
Original music: Iñaki Salvador
Costumes: Lola Trives
Set design: Marcos Carazo
Lighting design: Xabi Lozano
Choreography: Maitane Zalduegi
Assistant director: Dorleta Urretabizkaia
Technical manager: Iñigo Lacasa
Sound: Ederson
Lighting and projections: Iñigo Lacasa
Production manager: Ana Pimenta
Executive producer: Monika Zumeta
Administration: Izaskun Imizkoz
Poster design: José Luis Lanzagorta
Graphic design: Antza Komunikazio Grafikoa
Web: Mano de Santo
Production company: Vaivén Company
Trailer for 'Yo la peor del mundo' (Me, the worst in the world)
Synopsis of 'Yo la peor del mundo' (I, the worst in the world)
Yo la peor la mundo' is a vibrant musical show that tells the story of a woman who confronts everything and everyone in order to be free. With the strength of her verses, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz enchants the colonial Mexican court of a decadent Empire where she becomes a lover of the powerful, a muse of the Golden Age and a victim of a Church that cannot subdue her rebellious spirit. This is a lively show, infused with the colour, music, beauty and imagination of a woman who was a genius in her time and who continues to amaze us in ours. (TEATRO FERNÁN GÓMEZ).
Love begins with disquiet
The first act of this musical is filled with a lot of emotion and unresolved doubts. The first bars and harmonies with which the musical begins, foreshadow in the spectator's inner self, that something big is coming. It is true that I, the worst in the world deals mainly with the impossibility and denial of women for centuries, but I believe that the work deals with other aspects in the same way. There is an interesting reflection, which is closely related to the life of an individual and art in this case. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz has to debate between a comfortable life, without any kind of shock and doing what others expect of her as a woman, or choosing to be free.
Yo, la peor del mundo ends up transmitting pure magnetism and theatrical liveliness, because of how well condensed the play is in narrative, musical and technical terms. One may feel some initial misgivings about the story because it is about the life of a nun, but I can assure you that in this musical there is neither celibacy, nor chastity, nor obedience. It is rather a transgressive, feminist and enveloping musical proposal offered by Olga Margallo and company.
My feelings for these actors
It will be a difficult task to do justice in these words to the great performances we witness in I, the Worst in the World. Sometimes we critics go overboard in our praise or in our excessive criticism, but I am not exaggerating when I say that the cast of this musical is hard to beat; at least for this story in question. All of them have stellar moments, which end up sending the audience into an eternal applause in return for their magnificent acting work; it's a pity we can't see the performance of this work in Basque, because it must be something worth seeing.
Itxaso Quintana, the actress who brings Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz to life, surprises us with her commitment and passion on stage. Art is often a search for truth, and listening to every word this actress uttered throughout the play, I felt and believed all the truth that permeated her character. Ugaitz Alegría is superb in the same way, demonstrating an overwhelming interpretative versatility, playing two characters that are like night and day. On the other hand we have the marvellous Ylennia Baglietto, who is pure charisma and artistry on stage; there is one particular number in the play, which almost made me fall out of my seat because of how crazy it is.
Last but not least, we have Nerea Gorriti and Ana Pimienta; two actresses with a profound generosity and stage talent that makes it impossible to understand the play without their presence.
I would like to be the one I want
The third act of this musical explodes in a hodgepodge of emotions, going from the representation of life to the starting point of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. A celebration of life and death, but above all a hymn to the freedom to be what one wants to be. We see in this last part of the musical, the sacrifices and misfortunes that all those born as women have suffered, represented through the figure of Juana Inés de la Cruz. Perhaps this serves as a wake-up call so that we don't forget where we come from and where we are heading as a society. May it serve to highlight what is already evident, and stop repressing women's freedom and fundamental rights.
I wouldn't like to end this review without first highlighting the great work in the staging of Yo, la peor del mundo (I, the worst in the world). The aesthetics of Mexican culture and folklore that is so marked in the staging is marvellous and a pleasure for the eyes. The use of flowers in the staging and in the headdresses of the protagonists is to be admired and applauded, as every last detail of the play is taken care of.
Conclusion
Yo, la peor del mundo is a groundbreaking, energetic and enveloping theatrical musical that delves into the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. A wonderful proposal that Olga Margallo offers us, to celebrate the life of all those women who were silenced throughout history. It has an exceptional cast, in which each one shines and enchants the audience in equal parts. It is always a luxury to witness the new musical works of Antonio Muñoz de Mesa, and with this musical he continues to surpass himself at all levels. A musical that we highly recommend and which is the perfect excuse to return to the theatres after such difficult times for culture in Spain.
SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW
It is a groundbreaking, energetic and enveloping theatrical musical that delves into the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. A wonderful proposal that Olga Margallo offers us, to celebrate the life of all those women who were silenced throughout history. It has an exceptional cast, in which each one shines and enchants the audience in equal parts. It is always a luxury to witness the new musical works of Antonio Muñoz de Mesa, and with this musical he continues to surpass himself at all levels.
Fuente: Cinemagavia
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