Friday evening, TodiMusicFest began their last weekend of performances with the Virginia premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at Portsmouth’s Willett Hall. The festival is in its sixth season and has grown into a local summer favorite for Hampton Roads residents. The festival’s director, Howard Bender, proudly announced that this year’s attendance had already eclipsed the previous seasons. All signs were pointing toward a night of memorable entertainment; unfortunately this 2007 operatic installment fell disappointingly short of the mark.

This singular source of summer opera includes local and international artists, as well as celebrated maestro Walter Attanasi. Eugene Onegin, originating from Russian poet Alexander Pushkin’s work, is a dramatic story with double doses of unrequited love and heart wrenching consequences when chivalry goes awry. Everyone ends up miserable in the end; how very Russian.

Soprano Oksana Krovytska was a lackluster Tatyana.

These two principal characters are the focus of the opera’s plot, both text and music provide them with passionate phrases and intense emotions, yet neither performer seemed to take advantage of these elements. This lack of commitment became so distracting that it was difficult to appreciate their vocal talents. What would usually be an edge-of-the-seat moment in the opera’s final scene was, in the hands of Krovytska and Mix, a tepid ending to a long night.

The opera’s chorus was sufficient, though the use of so many young artists came across as amateur and awkward.

Stage Director Olga Kapanina chose the safe route for this production. Sticking to the usual country setting in early 1800’s Russia and using standard techniques of staging, she produced a boring and often low-energy ensemble. In this new era of opera theatre, where directors take chances and try new interpretations, Kapanina stuck to the tried and true. Many scenes were “stand and sing” moments.

Thankfully, the set design was outstanding. Visually this production receives top marks.

When all else failed at least the audience could admire the backdrop.

Luckily there were moments of artistic triumph. Kitt Reuter-Foss was a playful Olga. Both believable and endearing, this mezzo-soprano was often the star. Her aria “Ja nye sposobna k grusti tomnoy,” was vibrant and lush. Tenor Rodrick Dixon was a very successful Lensky. His voice was beautifully smooth and expressive. Dixon moved across the stage with conviction. Contralto Sondra Gelb added a yenta-like humor to the old maid Filipyevna. Kristopher Irmiter was a handsome Prince Gremin. The bass-baritone, returning to the TodiMusicFest, was tenderly expressive with his voice that was both mature and seductive. Prince Gremin’s aria was probably the most vocally satisfying moment of the evening.