Two Boys Kissing

TTBB and chamber ensemble

(fl/cl/trpt/perc/vln/vla/vlc/bass)

When I was first asked by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus to adapt a 2013 book called Two Boys Kissing, I sat down to read it and was stunned at how beautiful the framing device worked in terms of compellingly telling the stories of the various boys in the story.  That idea—a Greek chorus of gay men who lost their lives during the AIDS crisis—seemed so simple and elegant that I couldn’t believe that I hadn't heard of a story being told in that way before.  This is the brilliance of the New York Times bestselling author of the source material, David Levithan, and if you haven’t read the book already, you should rundon’twalk to your local library and check it out.  I remember reading it in my neighborhood coffee shop in Austin and being moved to tears multiple times.  I adore this book; I own two copies—one kindly autographed for me by the author and another with copious amounts of notes for the eventual production—and have bought several more for friends.

The story follows two teenage boys, Harry and Craig, as they try to break the world record for the longest kiss (a thing which actually happened in the real world), a transgender boy named Avery who begins to fall in love for the first time with a boy named Ryan, and Cooper, a teenager who is violently outed by his parents and finds himself in a place familiar to a lot of LGBT kids with unsupportive families.

All three of these stories are watched over and told to the audience by a Greek chorus made up of the spirits of gay men who died during the AIDS crisis; sort of the immortal protectors of the vulnerable young people they watch over.

Adapting this book into a 70-minute oratorio for the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus was a labor of love by a huge group of people.  My thanks to the entire production team, especially my co-librettist, Eric Grant, who worked with me over many months to adapt David’s novel into something we thought would be appropriate for this audience.  Thank you also to my husband, Robert, who gave me a few lines of beautiful poetry you’ll hear in the piece and, more importantly, held me up through the ups and downs of the 18 months it took me to write this piece. 

However, chief among the people that have my unending gratitude is David, for giving us his beautiful story to play with.  In the LGBT community there are a lot of sad stories we can tell but, as Harvey said, “You gotta give ‘em hope!”

The commission of Two Boys Kissing was underwritten through the generosity of husbands Dean A. Genth & Dr. Gary W. Swenson with additional support by Alan & Ken Braun and John Sullivan. It was premiered by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus (Dr. Ben Riggs, conductor) at Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis on June 17, 2016.

Reviews of the source material for the work, David Levithan’s Two Boys Kissing

“There are more than two boys kissing in this book, and every one of them will reach your heart. You have to read this.”
- Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor & Par

“Remarkable.”
- Frank Bruni, The New York Times

Entertainment Weekly, August 21, 2013:
“Author David Levithan’s poignant novel follows the stories of gay teens joined through an unconventional protest.”

The Washington Post, August 20, 2013:
“Over the years, Levithan has consistently explored new creative territory...Two Boys Kissing reveals his command of an intriguing, complex narrative with an unusual point of view: the first-person plural. This ‘we’ is the combined voice of men who died during the AIDS pandemic several decades ago. As the boys’ stories become more closely entwined and connect in a satisfying finale, the reflections of these 'shadow uncles' lend a quality of retrospection that is rare (and refreshing) in YA literature.”

The Los Angeles Times, September 1, 2013:
“Open, frank and ultimately optimistic.”

The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy, October 24, 2013:
“Two Boys Kissing couldn’t have arrived at a more timely moment, just months after the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage. The shift in society’s attitudes towards the LGBT community has long been embraced by many in the young adult crowd. Levithan seems to intuitively understand this generation—and his new book allows him to bring their particular struggles and joys to life.”

List of performances

• Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus

• Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus

• Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida

• Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus

• Hartford (CO) Gay Men’s Chorus

• Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus

• Phoenix Gay Men’s Chorus

• Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus

• Steel City Men’s Chorus (Birmingham, AL)

• Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus

Performed by the Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
(Dr. Ben Riggs, conductor).