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 21st 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.
