I just wrote a long, long post about why I hope Plushy will keep the Zhulin "Jewish Melody" program, but then the forum kicked me off and I lost it.
I'll try to type it again...Firstly, I guess we're all worried about Plushy's competition programs next season, but to be honest I think we don't have enough information to draw any conclusions at this point yet?
It is of course extremely important to give the judges what they are looking for, and I am absolutely sure that Plushy and his team understand all the issues much better than we do. But on the other hand, Evgeni is also not like, say, Evan Lysacek, who seems to just do whatever others decide for him, and who openly says that he does not like the music of his program, and appears to see nothing wrong with such a statement. Plushy has said before that he needs to "feel" the music, or it would not work. Whatever he does on ice, there has to be a connection with what's inside of him. This makes everything a lot harder, but it's also what makes him an artist, and it is what makes him different from other skaters. One thing that always amazed me is that I remember him saying "if you want to know me, watch me skate". What other skater can truly say such a thing?
I still very much hope for next season, he will decide to keep the Zhulin program that we saw. Not only because I believe it can be a very successful competition program, in terms of what judges like, but also (a separate and completely different reason) because I really like the program, and I think it has the potential to be something quite extraordinary, artistically, and represent a major expansion of Plushy's (already very large) expressive range. However, just as an exercise, I wanted to play "devil's advocate" a little, and tried to think of some possible reasons why one would
not want to do it.
With the music, I remember Evgeni said in April that he did not "feel" the music yet. I listened to the music of the program, without watching the video, and deliberately tried to find fault with it. With that mindset, I think it is possible to find the first half a little monotonous, in terms of melody. Some other parts may also be a little...lackluster? I am not certain about this, but I get the feeling that Plushy's tastes in music currently tend to more passionate pieces, with more tension, that "grab" the listener more immediately?
Actually, this is something Edvin may possibly be able to help with, if he can improve the music to give it a bit more variety and edge, for example some kind of "Jewish fiddle" type of arrangements may work. But in my own (very inexpert) opinion, a sense of restraint (instead of overt passion) is needed for the mood of this piece, a sound that's
not the Strad would probably fit better, and over-emphasizing the violin would probably not work well. So if this were to be done (a very big if, I know), I think it would require Edvin to do something completely new and different, too.
With the new program itself, I love the fact that it is so different from the Plushy we already know, but it is possible to feel (very superficially) that because it is so different, it is no longer clear what is so "uniquely Plushenko" about it. I certainly do not presume to know what's in Evgeni's mind, but sometimes I cannot help but wonder if he would really find the fact that "it gets positive reviews from people who normally dislike him" such a good thing. I have also heard people say it reminds them of Jeremy Abbott's "Life is Beautiful" program. I think the similarities, if any, are very shallow. To my own mind, this program is already something different, not only from the "old Plushenko", but also from what other skaters can do. Plushy is older now and is capable of putting in much more depth into his programs than other, younger skaters--because he is a person with a lot of depths inside of him. One possibility is to go for a kind of "smiling-through-the-tears", optimism-and-dignity-despite-life's-difficulties theme, perhaps? That is something that I believe Evgeni certainly has a lot of, himself.
With Zhulin's working style, I don't know very much about it, but if he is "categorical and insistent on his ideas", then it does worry me a lot. Not because I think his ideas are not good (I think this particular idea is wonderful), but I suspect it may not be the best style for dealing with Evgeni, personality-wise. (And as for David, perhaps I like his work better than most Plushy fans seem to, these days. He is not so well-fitted to the current skating rules, but to my personal eyes, I think he has the advantage of understand
Evgeni, and his strength seems to be in bringing out things that are already in Evgeni, but are not immediately obvious.) Nevertheless, I think it is possible to find some kind of middle ground, which would allow Evgeni to find his emotional connection with the program, his own "angle", so to speak, but also attempt things that are not right-away "easy" for him.
I want to say that the above are
not necessarily my actual opinions about the program, and I am also
not saying these are what Plushy is thinking. I was deliberately looking for (or even making up) issues with the Zhulin program, but I still think all these (imaginary) issues can be dealt with, or even turned to positive use. This program, I think, requires a lot of restraint, but it does not mean that Plushy's old sense of power and passion would no longer be there. Rather, I fantasize about seeing it all "held inside", turned into an undercurrent. I know all these things I'm going on about sound crazy and unrealistic, and I know it's imagining a tremendous deal, but I still feel there is space for more depth in this particular program--because there always is. Of course, as a fan, I for myself do not want to say that he "must" or "should" do things this way or that way. If Plushy really just "doesn't feel it", then it's simply not meant to be and I will respect that, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. But I think this program has a chance to represent a big growth in Plushy's already extraordinary artistic level (and never mind the judges!), and so--selfishly, I know--it would feel like a pity to pass it up.
(Whew. Sorry for the very long post in English. I can get very wordy at times...)
. I pray to all possible gods he will keep Zhulin. Marina, David or whoever can do his exhibtions. I so want Carmelego to work with eVGENI, where can I send a fax? Mishin is really a genious clever man, I cant believe he hasnt thought of it.
Может Эдвин тоже сменит имидж и насочиняет такой шедевр, что мы все ахнем! 
In any case, I have a hunch that the music for the Short program is very, veeeeeeeeery modern - maybe something in the style of hard rock, like Scorpions .... so, and choreography is adapted to that style? 
.Он,как правило,в точку попадает.Мощные,победные и Женя очень хорошо их чувствует.Только бы Эдвин не схалтурил 
,а написал победную 
,проникновенную,офигенную 
) , how can you compete Marton with Stravinsky? I so wish Evgeni skating to Scheherazade(the whole music , not just the little pieces in Nijinski) ,can you imagine him doing a Persian Prince?
