From December 30 to January 8, the Zapashny brothers will bring their New Year spectacle to St. Petersburg, performing twenty shows at the Sibur Arena on Krestovsky Island. The Great Moscow Circus presents If I Were a Queen, a festive production that draws on timeless fairy tale imagery to celebrate the magic of the holiday season. This information comes from rg.ru reporting.
Askold Zapashny, People’s Artist of Russia and artistic director of the Great Moscow Circus, explains that the creators based the show on Alexander Pushkin’s The Tale of Tsar Saltan with a goal to envelop the audience in a fairy tale atmosphere. The production emphasizes visual storytelling through character design, costumes, and especially the language of live circus artistry. The idea is to reveal the extraordinary potential of the human body and imagination, enabling feats that feel plucked from fantasy. The performers aim to evoke flight, skillful juggling, and dialogue with animals, all within a stage crafted to spark wonder.
The lineup blends gymnasts, acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers, a magician, clowns, ballet dancers, and animal acts. A pivotal figure in the show is the portrayal of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, voiced by the Russian dubbing artist Vsevolod Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov is known for voicing Keanu Reeves in The Matrix and for lending the voice to Puss in Boots in Shrek’s Russian adaptations, among other roles, helping to shape the theatrical experience for Russian-speaking audiences.
The premiere of the production occurred in Moscow in 2019, followed by a run of 76 performances that drew more than 250,000 spectators. The show encountered interruptions and disruptions with the onset of the global pandemic, leading to cancellations and a pause in performances before resuming in different venues and markets when conditions allowed it.
In related cultural news, there have been recent reports about Anton Rubinstein’s opera The Demon making a debut at a major Russian theater, signaling a renewed interest in classic works alongside contemporary productions like the Great Moscow Circus approach. The current engagement in St. Petersburg continues a tradition of high-profile seasonal shows that blend traditional circus arts with literary-inspired storytelling, offering families and fans a festive, immersive experience that blends humor, drama, and spectacular physical feats.