Eifman’s ‘Onegin’
![Maria Abashova dances Tatyana in the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburgs production at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2763c64/2147483647/strip/true/crop/262x425+0+0/resize/262x425!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdd%2F69%2Fa93a96a6c865cd7155031da9d6e4%2Fla-et-0521-eifman01-kk07xxnc.jpg)
Maria Abashova dances Tatyana in the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburgs production at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4a5d79c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x398+0+0/resize/586x398!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff0%2F93%2Fa4a3806f6419b54ee7d68b8d61a7%2Fla-et-0521-eifman02-kk07vrnc.jpg)
Oleg Gabyshev is Onegin in the ballet, which is having its Southern California debut. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5f43d65/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x447+0+0/resize/586x447!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F68%2Ff3%2F019b26d9e3a1eb8eaac25fa4c8a3%2Fla-et-0521-eifman03-kk07sgnc.jpg)
Boris Eifman’s sexually charged production is set in 1991 as the Soviet Union is crumbling. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a782085/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x405+0+0/resize/586x405!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F39%2F9c%2F475e1f8d09ce8ca3158807bc5188%2Fla-et-0521-eifman04-kk07tznc.jpg)
Dmitry Fisher, top, is Lensky to Oleg Gabyshev’s Onegin. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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St. Petersburgs Vantov Bridge serves as a literal and symbolic connector between past and present, city and country, as Maria Abashova dances. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/db7aaea/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x557+0+0/resize/586x557!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa4%2Fe2%2F9baa3e4b5623d2b86f2c312311ef%2Fla-et-0521-eifman06-kk07ygnc.jpg)
Members of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg corps. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ef2b5ab/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x390+0+0/resize/586x390!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F78%2Fcd%2F0548299c3c5a6220471bcc9ede80%2Fla-et-0521-eifman07-kk07s3nc.jpg)
Sergei Volobuev portrays the blind Colonel whom Tatyana (Maria Abashova) marries. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
![Eifman's 'Onegin'](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/344de86/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x391+0+0/resize/586x391!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd2%2F80%2F990f4005076fda8745a14b9e6215%2Fla-et-0521-eifman08-kk07rcnc.jpg)
Oleg Gabyshev transforms Onegin from bored aristocrat to broken man. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Choreographer Boris Eifman takes a bow at the conclusion of his “Onegin” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. (Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times)