Many famous opera’s have been featured at the New York City Metropolitan Opera House. However, Two Boys, currently on display, is a cut above the rest. It features a potentially controversial story line of love and loss. The story catalogs the exploits of a detective named Anne Strawson who is investigating a young man named Brian, suspected of killing an 13 year old boy named Jake.

The entire Opera is filled with struggles faced by the actors. Namely, the detective struggles with the loss of her own son who she gave up for adoption at an early age. As she speaks with the parents of Brian and starts to piece the narrative of Two Boys together, she becomes disenchanted with herself and her decision to give her child up.  Also, Strawson struggles with the care of her aging mother whom she is evidently and naturally deeply attached to.

The young man, Brian, faces challenges of his own. He is faced with accusations and his life is disrupted for a crime that he did indeed commit. Sadly, the boy who he stabbed does die after being found to be brain dead and taken off life support. The shocking plot twist at the end leaves the viewer wanting for more, yet satisfied with what they have seen. The social overtone here is one of shame in homosexuality. Unfortunately, this is a problem that exists in many LGBT identifying people in the real world, and the opera sheds a candid but respectful light on the issue.

Two boys is brilliantly structured. It contains all the elements of a great and unique opera: good sing, effects, and dancing all culminate to give the viewer a sense of wonder that he or she will not soon forget. The uniqueness of the opera is manifest not only in its modern story line, but in its effects as well. Namely, the laser lighting and projection of a continuous stream of chat logs challenge the viewers’ expectations of a more classical form of opera.

However, the audience gracefully surrenders these expectations as the story progresses.  It seemed as though the initial reaction of the audience was one of levity and humor; this mood was short lived. The story line really drew the audience in. It was provocative, captivating, and, most of all, original. Two Boys is the perfect storm for a new spin on what constitutes the perfect opera. One can only hope that operas like these become the rule rather than the exception.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always had a specific idea in my head about what I considered an opera. Beautiful, strong voices singing in an unknown language without much scenery is the image that comes to mind. Usually the aura I get from thinking about an opera is tragic and romantic. However, the very first opera I had the opportunity to see was quite different.

“Two Boys” is a very modern opera that embodies the exact opposite of what one would typically see. The opera singing is, in fact, in English and although it may seem nice to have an original opera in our language, it sounds quite silly. The languages one typically associates opera with, Italian and French, are romance languages that tend to sound beautiful no matter what is being said. English, in comparison, is much harsher and less graceful. So, when the opera singer belts out his daily routine, about eating breakfast and brushing his teeth, although the voice may be beautiful, the lyrics take away from the show. I found myself holding back laughter at how silly this sounded at points, which is not the reaction that I want to have.

The props used on stage were not too elaborate, yet more so than I would expect at an opera. In today’s world, opera tickets can become very costly so the idea that the show has to be fancy is understandable. However, I always believed an opera was more about the singing and overacting than the props. In my opinion, although the majority of the props were as simple as a hospital bed, a desk and a couch, the light shows and technical additions were a bit over the top. The one thing about the technology used in this opera I did appreciate, however, was the fact that the chats the opera singers were singing about were written out behind them and it was easier to understand the dialogue. Even so, the fact the entire opera was set in modern times itself was a bit mind numbing.

“Two Boys” is set in 2001 and revolves around two boys using chat rooms on the Internet, something that I would never associate with an opera. It is neither tragic nor romantic in summary, nor is it something that has the tenor of what an opera possesses. Yet somehow there is a screenplay about this modern day anecdote, that still has the charm necessary and keeps your attention focused. It might be the suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen, because this opera is structured in the form of a mystery as well, or the raw talent that is noticeable in the leads, or the combination of modern day events and technology with something that feels as old as time. This odd mix is not at all perfect or groundbreaking, yet it brings about a new idea.

Modern operas before this one may have incorporated light shows and effects and fancy props, but this one focuses on the central idea of the Internet, in an opera house that is much older than the Internet itself. This idea might create a new type of opera, something that incorporates today’s world with something that has been around for centuries, in a more fluid manner to create a show that is brilliant and spectacular at the same time.

As I have already read many positive reviews about “Two Boys,” the only thing I can bring to the table is some positive and negative critique from my very tired self.

As I began this play, I was pretty awake but sooner than later, I was drifting off into my own world. Maybe it was where I was seated or the confusing placement of the characters but I found it pretty difficult to stay concentrated.

If I were to be completely honest, I would say that it took me a while to catch on that Brian was telling the entire story to the detective. By exploring this feeling of emotion, the producer incorporated the darkness of the play and the eerie music but at times, this feeling did not come all the way through.

One big difference I noticed from traditional opera however, is that the masculine voices were masculine voices. They did not try to reach that higher octave or any such tone which I thought was, well, different.

On the brighter side of things, I found the shifting of the backdrop extremely well done and

the lighting use was put to great use propelling the uniqueness of the play into another realm. For this creativeness, the set designers and whoever had a hand in that work must be given props. It must have been extremely difficult for the backdrop to match up to the speaker’s voice. Coming up with that idea was simply amazing and one-of-a-kind.

Additionally, I found it amazing how the opera was able to incorporate so many m

odern themes while also keeping the basis and core of what an opera is. By incorporating this modern technology to a classic and traditional form of show, the opera, the producer was able to blend the old and the new.

Although this play did not keep me focused the whole time, this play did have its merits from the little jokes that were made by the detective’s mom to the incorporation of two things that people never would have thought were possible. To any opera lovers out there, this opera would be great to watch allowing them another perspective, something weird, different and unique.

It’s certainly not your traditional opera. Composer Nico Muhly’s Two Boys is something brand new and unique. Currently showing at the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, it is a modern story loosely based on true events in the early 21^st century England. Two Boys is set in 2001 and deals with the case of the two teenage boys interaction, first on the Internet followed by in real life, gone horribly wrong. And it is up to detective Anne Strawson, unwillingly assigned to the case, to find out why 16 year-old Brian stabbed his 13 year-old friend, Jake.

Two Boys is very contemporary. The opera revolves around the idea of cyber culture and how it can affect people. One of the best parts of the opera is the combination of sets, lighting, and video. The sets, designed by Michael Yeargan, are perfectly spaced and arranged for the interaction between the characters. The lighting, designed by Donald Holder, brightened the important parts of the performance to help keep the audience focused. And the video, done by 59 Productions, added all the right effects needed to create the cyber scene. The complex and colorful images while the characters were on the Internet truly made the experience more interesting and engaging.

The amazing digital effects in Two Boys

On the other hand, the opera was not all so great. For example, listening to Brian sing about how he likes football, watches television, and does his homework was just ridiculous. During the performance, the audience laughed at this because it was quite silly to hear about such banal things sung in such a serious way. Likewise, the conversations during the characters’ Internet chats ranged from awkward to disturbing. One of the worst parts of the opera was not only witnessing the twisted events, but also not being able to follow them. Not all the elements of the show seemed to fit together, such as some random dancing at parts, which were distracting to what was going on.

Still, it was a decent production. Beyond some ridiculous chat room dialogue there is the theme of loneliness in human nature and how cyberspace now plays a role in it. Young composer Nico Muhly, only 32 years old, certainly put together a show to appeal to emotions through music, which is to be appreciated. It is good that the Met is supporting new operas, along with the classics, to keep the art form alive and evolving. Two Boys is no grand Greek tragedy, but it definitely has music that will truly affect some people. Overall though, it’s a hit or miss.

The internet is the door to vast information.  It has transformed society and has allowed easy access for knowledge.  However, this amazing tool that we possess has also been used as a weapon of destruction.  This idea is portrayed through “Two Boys”, an opera being performed at the Lincoln Center Theater.  Nico Muhly, at only 32 years old, is the composer of this ingenious and dramatic opera.

“Two Boys” is unique for a few reasons, one of them being that it isn’t based on common themes of opera such as Greek mythology.  Instead, Nico Muhly decides to incorporate the internet: a theme that has not yet been explored in opera.  Because the work is centralized on the themes of the internet and cyberspace, “Two Boys” takes place in fairly recent times, specifically in 2001.  It features a very unique theme and explores areas that may be foreign to older generations. As the plot unfolds, it is evident to the audience that the work required a lot of thought and effort in making.  A work of brilliance, “Two Boys” keeps everybody at the edge of his or her seat.  Throughout the entire performance, everyone is paying close attention to ensure that nothing is missed.

This opera focuses on the life of Brian, who is played by actor Paul Appleby.  Brian, a 16 year old teenager, is being accused of murdering a 13 year old boy, Jake.  Ironically, throughout the performance, Brian is portrayed as the victim rather than the victimizer.  After watching the progression of events, it is evident that Brian’s life is being controlled by the internet.  Eventually, Brian becomes its victim and his life becomes a long downward spiral. The plot twist that exists toward the end is overwhelming and shocks the entire audience, both young and old.

“Two Boys” is enriched not only by its amazing plot, but also by the props and music.  The projections of the chat room play an extremely important role in drawing the watcher into the performance.  These projections of the conversations between Brian and online chatters set a serious tone and create an aura of mystery.  By using this effect, the watcher feels as if he or she is actually within the performance.  Another factor that greatly enhances the experience are the actors and their clothes.  Muhly realizes that setting the scene correctly requires the actors to be dressed in the fashion of that time period.  For example, the hairstyle of Brian and football jacket resembles a time period that slightly predates present day.  The last factor that greatly affected the performance was the music.  Not only was the music majestic, but it was also used as a technique to set the mood.  It was also used as a way to inform the audience when the scene was serious, comical, or dramatic.

Nico Muhly’s method of keeping the audience’s attention proves to be extremely effective and enhances the entire experience.  The props used also proved to be effective because the clothes that were worn reflected that of the time period.  The plot was well thought out and the play resembled one of cleverness.  The conclusion of the opera leaves you speechless.  You are not only stunned by the clever ending, but also by Muhly’s ingenious.