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[Natalia]

The ballet was last staged at the Maly by its immediate-past Artistic Director, Nikolai Boyarchikov. He took most (all?) of his original choreographies and stagings of older ballets with him when Farouk Ruzimatov & Co. took over in autumn 2007. This seems odd because, in 1981, Boyarchikov simply re-staged the old Gusev/Vecheslova-after-Petipa ballet...but he must have somehow had the Boyarchikov name legally enmeshed in this.

Similarly, the Boyarchikov-after-Gusev-after-Petipa staging of Le Corsaire is also gone. That's a main reason why the theater is now preparing a new Corsaire, due to open March 13.

Another reason given by Petersburg 'old timers' is that the new private owners of the theater are more into "modern glitz" -- witness last season's over-the-top Spartacus complete with caged lions (and caged gladiators). The new Chipolino was also 'extra bright' in decors. An old-fashioned Esmeralda doesn't fit into their master plan, I suppose.