RUSSIA: 05 June UPDATE: Classic Opera Has Contemporary Anti-Putin Look; NYC Reviewer Pans Production.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/9308992/British-directors-production-of-Russian-opera-echoes-anti-Vladimir-Putin-protests.html

     A new St. Petersburg staging of that old opera chestnut...Boris Godunov...has a disturbing modern Moscow look.

    The Graham Vick production about a 16th century autocrat who destroys his rivals... features today's striking protest imagery.

    Priests are seen with laptops...and police are dressed in uniforms of the current OMON special forces that have pushed, chased and arrested many recent protesters.

    There has been no comment yet from the Kremlin about the new version...being staged in President Vlad Putin's home town.

      NEW!!!  NYC Russia expert...Julia Ioffe...reviews the new production...and pans it...'it fell absolutely flat.'
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/06/boris-godunov-in-st-petersburg.html?mbid=gnep&google_editors_picks=true