Libretto by Yuri Smekalov after the tale of the same name by Kornei
Chukovsky.
The ballet was written by Efrem Podgaits for a contest for the
best music piece for children, held by the Bolshoi Theatre and the Union of
Theater Workers
Several years ago, the Bolshoi Theatre and the Union
of Theater Workers, RF held a contest for the best music piece
for children, as the Russian musical theater has long been
in desperate need of children’s repertoire.
The winner
of the competition became a well-known Russian composer Efrem
Podgaits, the author of thirteen operas, including Through the
Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, The Prince and the Pauper, Thumbelina,
Lord of the Flies, Little Longnose and others which were and still are
successfully on the stages of various theaters. However, for this
competition, he decided to present the ballet, but also written
on the subject of a famous literary work — a very
popular Russian fairy tale in verse by Korney Chukovsky called
Moidodyr.
The winner of the competition for the best
libretto became Gennady Malkhasyants (1937-2008), but
he managed to write only the synopsis for the first act of the
ballet, unfortunately his death did not allow him even to learn the results
of the first round. So Efrem Podgaits had to finish the second
act of the libretto by himself, practically ‘blindfold’.
At the initiative of Sergei Filin, the Artistic Director
of the Bolshoi Ballet, the young choreographer Yuri Smekalov, the soloist
of the Mariinsky Theatre, was invited to produce a ballet
at the New Stage of the Bolshoi. After reviewing the libretto and
music material Yuri Smekalov decided to write a new story,
a thriller —fairytale , with new eccentric characters — such
as Generalissimo Soap, Kitty, Wizard (Chukovsky), Fresh
as a Daisy , Uncle Croc, Soldierpicks.
Smekalov staged several
choreographic miniatures, successfully performed on different stages.
As a choreographer, he debuted in 2008 within the framework
of the Autumn Gold ballet festival creating the original project
Verba volant, scripta manent, dedicated to his friend and mentor,
George Aleksidze.
Moidodyr is the first full-length ballet
by Yuri Smekalov and his first production at the Bolshoi Theatre
of Russia.
Act I
Scene
1
Tauride Garden
A boy nicknamed Piggy-wiggy
is walking with his parents in the Tauride Garden. As soon
as he sees a dirty puddle, the little rascal makes a beeline
for it. Attempting to assert his independence, he keeps slipping
out of his mother’s grasp who is trying to shake the mud off his
clothes.
Passersby appear, including Wizard and a little girl called
Fresh as a Daisy. Everyone admires Fresh as a Daisy, who
is as pretty as a picture, but no one wants
to talk to the grubby little boy. Uncle Croc is the only person
who seems to understand Piggy-wiggy and therefore the latter looks
on him as his friend. Pretending he is totally oblivious
to Fresh as a Daisy, the little terror parades his
grubbiness.
His parents are upset, but Wizard calms them down. Enter
Chimney-sweep and his gang: Piggy-wiggy is the only person to notice
them. Feeling uneasy, the little boy hides behind Uncle Croc’s back. Engrossed
in their photography, Mama and Papa walk off in the opposite
direction. Uncle Croc, friend to Piggy-wiggy, leads him to his
parents. Wizard and Fresh as a Daisy are standing right by them.
The children meet but, running off in different directions, they
do not make friends.
Scene 2
Piggy-wiggy’
RoomDead of night. Kitty wakes up and stretches
herself. But suddenly something very odd starts to happen... Wizard climbs
through the window into the bedroom. Muttering “Chukokkala, Chukokkala”,
he touches everything he comes across with his magic, shining cane,
and the things begin to come alive. Wizard disappears through the doors
into Piggy-wiggy’ parents’ bedroom. Gradually, Piggy-wiggy wakes up.
He carefully pulls up his eiderdown which is falling off his bed,
but it flies away from him and, for some reason, everything he tries
to pick up, he drops. Due to the little boy’s clumsiness,
Candle ends up in the stove. The domestic utensils and toys are
indignant. Closing ranks, they surround Piggy-wiggy and advance on him with
threatening look. The little boy pretends this does not frighten him in the
slightest. He chases them all off with Papa’s newspaper and is left
entirely on his own.
The doors are flung open and Moidodyr appears
on the threshold. Great Wash-basin’s army immediately occupies the stage.
Sponge-in-Chief is in charge of the parade. Piggy-wiggy tries
to hide from Moidodyr’s army. Making a fool of Sponge-in-Chief,
he tears round the room and eventually manages to escape. Everyone
rushes off in pursuit of the little boy.
Act
II
Scene 3
Tauride Garden. The
World of the Chimney-sweep
Piggy-wiggy does not recognize
his beloved Tauride Garden. He is trying to find his friend Uncle
Croc whom he hopes will save him from Sponge-in-Chief’s intolerable
harassment. Uncle Croc’s cloak flashes here and there between the chimneys,
Piggy-wiggy flings himself after it, but all this is no more than
a mirage. Chimney-sweep’s suite and his Guttersnipe underlings
do their best to confuse Piggy-wiggy and lure him into their world
of soot and lamp-black.
Suddenly Sponge-in-Chief falls upon the little
boy, the cunning Guttersnipes, however, immediately get rid of her. Enter
Chimney-sweep: he and his gang pull wool over Piggy-wiggy’ eyes. And when
it seems the rascal’s fate is all but decided, Fresh
as a Daisy puts in an appearance. The little girl
is wearing a snow-white dress, while floating round her are
a mass of different coloured soap bubbles — this frightens off
Chimney-sweep and his stooges. Fresh as a Daisy presents Piggy-wiggy
with a magic shell, it is as if she is giving him
a chance of changing himself and his life — all he has
to do is to go home. The little boy puts the shell
on one side: he is fine where he is. This is just what
Chimney-sweep is waiting for. The Guttersnipes seize Fresh
as a Daisy. But, suddenly, thunder claps are heard and the rain starts
pouring down; a bright rainbow forces the Guttersnipes to retreat.
Accompanied by the Raindrops, Fresh as a Daisy leaves
Chimney-sweep’s garden.
The little boy is left on his own:
he realizes he is in no way different to the
inhabitants of this dirty spot. The though the nearly caused Fresh
as a Daisy’s undoing, makes Piggy-wiggy feel really ashamed.
He decides to go home.
Scene 4
Return
Home
In Piggy-wiggy’ room, Moidodyr’s suite are dancing
and preparing to give the little boy a welcome. Great Wash-basin
is carefully monitoring the proceedings. A parade of bathroom
accessories is underway.
Enter the young owner of the room and,
behind him, the exhausted Sponge-in-Chief who is so tired she
immediately collapses. Hanging his head, Piggy-wiggy asks Moidodyr’s
forgiveness. He is ready to wash himself clean and, together with
Sponge-in-Chief and Generalissimo Soap, he jumps into the bath. After his
bath, he is seized by Towel who carries him off to the
cupboard to get dressed.
Enter Wizard and Fresh
as a Daisy.
The little boy emerges from the cupboard transformed,
he holds out his hand to Fresh as a Daisy who, in turn,
holds out hers and their palms meet.
Epilogue
His parents return home. When they see their
clean and handsome son, they are overjoyed at the transformation. But the
little boy knows full well it is Fresh as a Daisy and Wizard
whom he has to thank for this miracle.