The opera was a bit of a surprise for me. Going into it and not knowing what to expect, my mind instantly went to, “Run Don’t Run,” and my dislike of that. I was wrong to assume I would not like the opera. Two Boys turned out to be an experience I actually enjoyed.
Being at the opera was enjoyment enough. Upon entrance, the lobby looked incredible. The people there seemed kind for the most part. Sitting in my chair and looking up at the sides to see the red box seats made me feel like I was in another time period. Before that night, I have never been to any musical or opera of any kind. I was captivated before the show even began.
Once the performance did begin, I remember it was all singing. Many operas are in other languages, so luckily this one was in English. But even with the English, I found difficulty understanding what they were singing at points. The subtitles on the seat in front of me were incredibly helpful with that. The entire time I was watching these performers sing, I was impressed by their ability. The power their voice must have to sing like that and to do so for so long without any breaks, aside from intermission, was incredible.
While I did enjoy the show and I thought the plot was very intriguing, some of the themes became too much. Some sexual themes would have been fine, but I did think it went a little overboard. The story of the murder and the conspiracy was fascinating to say the least. Regardless of the plot details, the most interesting part of the opera may have been the effects. The walls on each end of the stage displayed images that were constantly changing. The walls were shifting, the visual images with them and it really created an exciting feeling to the performance. Some of the effects left me in awe and added a special element to the opera.
As for agreeing that the opera being able to demonstrate the world of the Internet, I’m a little more hesitant. Personally, I have always associated operas with old-fashioned stories. And to see one taking place in 2001 centered around technology just did not feel right. It felt like they tried to combine two different time periods and the mix was not natural. While the opera was riveting, the plot intriguing, and the performers incredible, there was just an unnatural aura emanating from the show.
While I did enjoy the opera, I do not think it is a good art form for this generation of people. For starters, there is the issue of the unnatural feeling. A modern theme about the Internet did not sit well with me, and I believe any other modernized show will have the same effect. Second, I don’t think many people of this generation can appreciate older themes. I’m sure many young people today find that boring. So if modern themes do not work and if older themes do not work, how will the opera impress the young people of this generation? While there are bound to be people who enjoy operas and love shows like Two Boys, I find it difficult to accept that this is an art form that will appeal to this generation of people.
