"This looks to be a highlight of the season," says the chief music critic of The New York Times of the Met's Eugene Onegin. And indeed it does: there's a collection of high-voltage talent on the stage for this revival of Tchaikovsky's romantic tragedy, which begins its run tonight.

Renйe Fleming sings her first Tatiana in the house, opposite Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Onegin — "a role he seems born to play," as the Times says. Tenor Ramуn Vargas is the tempestuous Count Lensky, and bass Sergei Aleksashkin is Prince Gremin. On the podium will be the passionate Valery Gergiev.

Peter McClintock directs this revival of Robert Carsen's 1997 production. There are seven performances from tonight through March 3 at the Metropolitan Opera House — and, not surprisingly, the run is completely sold out.

Luckily, those of us who didn't manage to get a ticket can still enjoy the matinee on Saturday, February 24 — either via the Toll Brothers Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast (check your local listings) or in a high-definition video simulcast at selected movie theaters.

And if you just can't wait two weeks, tonight's performance will be streamed live (audio only) on the Metropolitan Opera's website. Just go to www.metopera.org and look for the RealPlayer box toward the lower left of the screen.