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.
