We started our third season of American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House yesterday afternoon with the beautiful and tragic Onegin.
Onegin was presented at the Met for the first time in its new ABT production last season. It became one of my favorites when we saw it because of it’s dramatic plot and gorgeous choreography. It did not disappoint with a second viewing.
For this performance David Hallberg played the title role. We saw Hallberg twice last year, once with ABT in The Firebird and the other in a Kings of Dance performance. He was amazing as Onegin, acting the complex role brilliantly and performing the dance to perfection. The final dance in Act III between Onegin and Tatiana was heartbreaking. Principal dancer Polina Semionova was also wonderful as Tatiana, who is initially spurned by Onegin and then years later turns around and spurns him.
Joseph Gorak, as Onegin’s friend Lensky, and Yuriko Kajiya, as Lensky’s love, were good. Gorak has great fire in Act II when Onegin starts flirting with his girl. Gorak and Kajiva and excellent chemistry as they danced a couple of times in the first two acts.
This coming week we take in two ABT productions. On Tuesday night we see a mixed repertory performance that includes Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, the company premiere of A Month in the Country and Symphony in C. Then on Saturday afternoon we see Don Quixote.
