Paying tribute to Russian culture

For the 70th birthday of one of the greatest actors of contemporary Russian theatre and cinema, the beloved ALEXANDER KALYAGIN, a special show featuring some of the best performers worldwide was put together.

Directed by Robert Sturua (a master of direction, of works from the world’s most important theatrical pieces to the grandiose Bolshoi Theatre operas) and produced by the legendary David Smelyansky in the unique Moscow THEATRE ET CETERA, this evening evoked high emotions from the celebrated and the exclusively VIP audience that attended the event.

Russian President Vladimir Putin organized a reception at the Kremlin for Mr Kalyagin a few hours before the special evening.

Erika Lemay was invited to perform two different acts: “Dance on Hands” and “Tornado”.

Erika Lemay performing her awarded act DANCE ON HANDS at the MOSCOW THEATRE ET CETERA under the direction of ROBERT STURUA for celebration of ALEXANDER KALYAGIN's 70th birthday.

With Yegor Druzhinin in his costume of ring master

Theatre ET Cetera / Театр Et Cetera п/р Александра Калягина

ALEXANDER KALYAGIN thanking Erika for her presence and performances at the aftershow reception

In 1992 Kalyagin created his theatre Et Cetera and its history began with the staging of A.P.Chekhov's play “Uncle Vanya”. The theatre’s repertoire was formed step by step, crystallizing in its inimitable manner – which todaydoubtless may be called unique and original– the theatre that is not afraid to experiment, to startwith absolutely unknown and untriedmaterial, to bea pioneer. Today the theatre’s repertoire stands out against the general background of theatrical Moscow. Et Cetera was the first to addressA.Jarr's play “King Ubu”, significant to all European theatres of the twentieth century. It hasintroduced to Russia anotherwell-known and significantname significant to European theatrical audiences – French playwrightG.Feydeau, and hisspectacular comedy “ Luciette Gauthier, or Shoot Now!”. After a multi-year interval the theatre once again turned to the forerunnerof Russian drama of the absurd - “Tarelkin’s Death” by Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin. The dramatic material that the theatre managed to include for these fifteen years is impressive: fromplays by Shakespeare, Moliere, Chekhov to performances of contemporary dramatists, to the ideologists of so-called “new drama”, Mikhail Ugarov and Maxim Kurochkin.

Such recognized stage directors as Robert Sturua and Adolf Shapiro, Alexander Morfov and Oskaras Korshunovas, Dmitri Bertman and Grigory Dityatkovsky, Roman Kozak and Alexander Galin, Mikhail Ugarov and Vladimir Pankov, Wajdi Mouawad and many others put performances on the Et Cetera’s stage.

The theatre has an intense touring life. Et Cetera showed its performances in many cities of Russia, from Khanty-Mansiysk to Saint-Petersburg, participated in domestic and international theatrical festivals, and audiences from places as diverse as USA, Canada, Germany, Japan and Israel applauded it.

On November 30, 2005 Et Cetera celebrated its house-warming. A new building on the Turgenevskaya Square, it boasts architectural construction beyond compare, unique and original in its design, and perfect in its embodiment. The theatre is equipped with the best l technical equipment and has two odea, which admit 550 and 1,200 persons respectively.

Юбилейный вечер в театре "Et Cetera" народного артиста РСФСР Александра Калягина.

Участники: Эрика Лемей (Канада) - "Танец на руках" (эквилибр), Дмитрий Григорьев и Олеся Шульга (Украина) - воздушные гимнасты на ремнях, Скейтинг Пилар (Франция) - акробаты на роликах, Анатолий Залевский (Украина, артист цирка "Дю Cолей"), дуэт "Роман и Слава" (Вячеслав и Роман Жовницкие, Украина) - артисты кабаре "Крейзи хорс", Виктор Войтко (Украина) - артист кабаре "Лидо", иллюзионист, Хуш-Ма-Хуш (Германия) -- артист кабаре "Лидо", клоун, Пьер Этекс - актёр, а также артисты театра "Et Cetera".

Режиссёр-постановщик -- Роберт Стуруа.

Производство - "ТВ Центр", 2012 год