Opera Columbus and Columbus Symphony to present an update of Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin'

If you go to performances at the Ohio Theatre, you are likely to hear the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky pretty regularly.

Not only is the Russian composer a favorite of Columbus Symphony Music Director Rossen Milanov, but Tchaikovsky (1840-93) also wrote the scores to two of the most beloved ballets of all time, “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake” — both staples in the repertoire of BalletMet.

Yet, even with all that Russian music resounding in the theater, one major Tchaikovsky work has never been mounted in the Ohio.

Next weekend, Opera Columbus will perform Tchaikovsky’s 1879 opera “Eugene Onegin” — the first-ever such professional performances of the opera, leaders say, in central Ohio.

Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Ohio Theatre.

Providing orchestral support to the singers will be the Columbus Symphony, which last co-presented a production with the opera in March and April 2023 with “Rigoletto.”

To preview the production, The Dispatch caught up with Milanov and Opera Columbus General Director and CEO Julia Noulin-Merat.

What is the story?

Based on a novel by Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, this version of “Eugene Onegin” is presented as flashbacks experienced by the heroine Tatyana.

“It’s very much a memory opera,” Noulin-Merat said.

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In the flashbacks, Tatyana, then a young woman residing in the Russian provinces, finds herself smitten with the title character, a debonair man named Eugene Onegin. Yet Onegin declines to pursue a relationship with Tatyana.

It’s all a bit akin to “a typical teenage romance story,” Noulin-Merat said with a laugh.

“(Eugene) basically turns her down and says, ‘You’re not good enough for me,’” she said. “Years later, they reconnect. He sees her at a party, and she’s now royalty: She’s married to a prince.”

Audiences will have to see how the dramatic story plays out over the course of the two-and-a-half-hour production (which includes a single intermission).

Who sings the lead role of Tatyana?

Soprano Lydia Grindatto will perform as Tatyana.

“She’s done the role (of Tatyana) before, which I think is a huge asset because it is a beast of a piece,” Noulin-Merat said. “You really follow her in this journey. She is going to break everyone’s heart by the end of the evening.”

Other key roles will be performed by baritone Morgan Smith (as Eugene Onegin), mezzo-soprano Hilary Ginther (as Tatyana’s sister, Olga) and tenor Dane Suarez (as Vladimir).

What language will the opera be performed in?

The singers will perform in Russian; supertitles will offer the words in English translation.

“There’s so much romance in the (Russian) language that is incorporated in the music,” Noulin-Merat said. “It was very important for us to keep it in its original language.”

What is the setting of this production of the opera?

In Opera Columbus’ version, the action of the opera has been advanced from the 19th century to the 1950s.

What is the look of the show?

In keeping with the updated timeframe of the show, Noulin-Merat designed sets meant to call to mind the paintings of American artist Edward Hopper (1882-1967), who marshaled color and light to depict lonely settings and moody characters in America at midcentury.

“The lighting (in the opera) is very highly dramatic,” Noulin-Merat said. “It looks like brushstrokes, which is absolutely beautiful.”

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To maintain the modern vibe, costume designer Neil Fortin created outfits for the cast that were inspired by fashion designer Christian Dior.

(The sets and costumes were part of an earlier production of “Eugene Onegin” at Opera Omaha in Nebraska.)

What does Tchaikovsky’s score sound like?

“If you like Tchaikovsky’s music in general, . . . you’re not going to be shocked by the style of this piece,” said Milanov, who notes that the score reflects both the grandeur of 19th-century Russian “high society” as well as the Russian folk music traditions.

“(Tchaikovsky) is juxtaposing the social status of each one of the characters,” Milanov said. “You have people who come down from the peasantry, and then you have people who are extremely educated, and then you have people who belong to the aristocracy. It’s a very interesting musical portrait of all these elements of society.”

Why was the Ohio Theatre chosen as a venue?

Opera Columbus performs the majority of its productions in the Southern Theatre, but “Eugene Onegin” demanded the larger setting of the Ohio Theatre — and, to properly utilize the symphony, it also required the Ohio’s larger orchestra pit.

“The pit of the Ohio Theatre is going to be capacity-filled,” Milanov said. “We have a significant number of strings and, of course, all of the required wind, brass and percussion instruments. . . . It will sound really, really impressive.”

Columbus Symphony Chorus members will also be featured.

“In Russian opera, there is always a very prominent part for chorus,” Milanov said. “Grand opera — you have to have a chorus for it. You cannot go around it.”

All in all, the opera’s splendor is well-suited to the Ohio Theatre.

“You want that big sound,” Noulin-Merat said. “The Ohio Theatre lends itself really well acoustically to opera.”

Will opera-symphony collaborations continue?

Although Opera Columbus performs most of its productions without the Columbus Symphony, the two organizations teamed last spring for a production in the Ohio Theatre, Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” After “Eugene Onegin,” are more opera-symphony partnerships planned in the Ohio?

“We already have a very, very big plan for next season,” Milanov said.

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At a glance

Opera Columbus and the Columbus Symphony will perform “Eugene Onegin” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St. Tickets start at $14. For more information, visit www.operacolumbus.org.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'Eugene Onegin' to be presented March 1-2 at the Ohio Theatre