“Two Boys” by Nico Muhly had to be one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. Having never been to an opera house before, this was entirely new experience, one that I would love to repeat.
“Two Boys” was a very dark and pioneering piece for an opera. It was very reminiscent of a good episode of Criminal Minds. It tells the story of a 16-year-old boy named Brian who is accused of stabbing a 13-year-old boy, Jake. The story unfolds as the detective in charge, who knows nothing about technology, listens to Brian’s tale of online activity, and how he communicated with Jake’s sister, Rebecca. Brian tells an outlandish story of Rebecca’s terror of her “Aunt Fiona” and “Peter,” both of whom are out to get Rebecca and her little brother Jake. Believing that Brian is telling ridiculous stories to get out of trouble, the detective sends for the online activity transcripts. At the end of the first act, she sees the transcripts and realizes he did not make up any of the story.
The second act was much faster and much more gripping than the first. The ball begins to roll as the detective really delves into Brian’s tale. She makes Brian finish telling his story, where he is accosted online by both Fiona and Peter. He is given an ultimatum: kill Jake, or get killed. At first, he refused. When Jake told Brian he was dying of a brain tumor, however, Brian agreed to assassinate Jake. He takes Jake into an alleyway, and he stabs him. He then finds out that all of the people he had been communicating with (Fiona, Rebecca, and Peter) were all just Jake, who was lonely, gay, and unhappy with his life.
Although the story line was a little slow in the beginning, it gave my eyes and ears time to absorb what they were seeing and hearing. The dancing was odd, and I felt that at times it took away from the scene. The singing, however, was majestic. The detective was fantastic, as was Brian, but I believe the person who stole the show was 13 year old Jake. From the moment he opened his mouth he captivated me. When I found out he was only in the sixth grade, I was floored. His voice was so pure on the soprano notes, and his voice resonated with me.
The way the setting and backdrop were strategically done also impressed me. The backdrop was constantly moving and evolving, which kept my attention. When it wasn’t moving, it had the chat logs projected on the walls, which I found interesting and also very helpful when I didn’t understand what was being said. I liked how they used the setting to tie in the theme of technology.
The story line itself was very well done. Although many people think the opera is an outdated art form that could never attract a younger crowd, I disagree. “Two Boys” had just the right amount of sex, violence, technology, and intrigue to captivate a younger audience. Opera has evolved with the time periods before, and I think it has done a wonderful job at continuing to keep up.
