YURY RUZHYEV

/Юрий Ружьёв/

 

bouffon extravaganza & clown romantico 

heavy drinker & moderate thinker

tactfully sarcastic

he puts the hot in psychotic

easily distracted & obsessively ..

*

 

Yury is an actor, performer, clown, bouffon, dancer, acrobat, aerialist,

director, writer, and producer in film, theatre, stage & circus.

 

Originally from Moscow, now living in Toronto. He studied theatre, and acting in Moscow at Boris Shukin Theatre School (BFA), Perfomrance Arts at Green Theatre in Moscow, and clown at Ecole Phillip Gaulier in Paris & Clown Farm in Manitouling Island. He holds MBA from Moscow University.

 

Ruzhyev does TV and Film work for major TV Series, Feature FIlms, Websieries and Indi productions.

 

Yury has years of experience in performing arts, as a Cabaret performer, dancer, and director. His one-man impersonations show - Viva Cabaret has been entertaining audiences on three continents, including cities likes Moscow, New York, Paris, Berlin, and Toronto for over 15 years.

 

Ruzhyev has hosted and planned over 1000 events and shows all around the world. 

 

In 2014 Yury’s theatre company Hooligans produced “Komunka” - a play about gay rights in Russia. Summer 2015 brought a theatre project - In The Dark - exploration of personal taboos and sexual liberties. This summer (Toronto Fringe) brings "In Sundry Languages" a play featuring 6 immigrant actors speaking their first language with each other with no traslations.

 

In 2016 Yury has debuted a new solo clown spectical: "No Elephant Show " - a clown's journey into oneself with successful runs at the Clown Festivals in Montreal, Milan, and Toronto.

 

Circus Clown Cabaret Extravazanza - SCRAPS - opened in Alburquerque, NM in march 2018.

 

Recent graduate of The Second City Stand Up school

 

A one-man circus where Ruzhyev gets to be a ring master, a monkey, and a tent. 

 

2019

Red Nose Cabaret at MAY. February 9th

 

2018

Winnipeg, MN Viva Cabaret show. Oct 12, Dec 1 & Dec 31

Highlihgt Motor corporate event, National

Filipp Kirkorov show. Set, props and backstage. Nov

Halloween party. at Elite Grand

Italy 

Almonte, ON, YURA at Rag Bag Cabaret, July 30th

VIVA CABARET at the RIVOLI June 7 & 29

Revolutuons International Theatre Festival, Alburquerque, New Mexico SCRAPS - clown show

Vancouver. Viva Cabaret show.

2017

Warsaw. Moscow 

actor for Mayday18, TV Show

Joe Candy Theatre, Stand Up

Mooseman, Mindon, ON

Viva Cabaret in Edmonton, August 13th

Fringe Festival, Toronto. In Sundry Languages, Theatre Passe Muraille, July 5-16th

Stand Up debut at Joe Candy Theatre, The Second City, June

The Second city Stand up school

Toronto Festival of Clowns. Factory Theatre, May 31-June 4th

Yura & Viva Cabaret in Edmonton, AL, April

Venice, Florence,  Piombino, Parma, Milan 

Milan Clown Festival, Italy

Chicago

2016 Send in the clowns

Viva Cabaret in Chicago, IL. New Year Show

Mary Poppins the Musical, Star School. National

weekly shows At Babushka Club

Sheinbar, Berlin

Berlin 

Ecole Phillipe Gaulier, Paris (October-November)

Perfromance in  Theatre Travesy, Paris

Paris 

No Elephant Show at Montreal Clown Festival (September)

Viva Cabaret in Collinwood, ON

Clown Farm with John Turner, MCCP (August-September)

Mexico Cancun, Tulum. Ocean and Mojitos. 

Electric Eclectic Festival

Montreal Cirque Festival

VIVA CABARET PRIDE SHOW at the RIVOLI

Viva Cabaret Port Hope, ON (une 16th)

Toronto Clown Festival, Luncay Cabaret at Factory Theatre

Viva Cabaret in Dallas, TX (June 10th)

Dallas,Texas

Fiming for Murodch Mysteries Season 10 Ep 1

Body Break 6.0 Theatre Passe Muraille

Circus Sessions at Harbourfront (May 20,21)

interview for TORONTOVKA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qas0pby8Q2Y

Mime in a short film SUPERS (April)

Wedding MC website: http://ruzhyev.wix.com/yura

Embodied English

WICKED Magic, Card Tricks & Illusons website: http://ruzhyev.wix.com/wicked

Clown Level 2 with Allan Turner

Yura at the Mullet's Night Show at the Capital Theatre

In Sundry Languages  - a play at Studio Theatre, UofT

Raw-Monroe in Montreal Les Clowns Cabaret. Wiggle Room

Montreal

Monthly Viva Cabaret shows at the Rivoli

Clown 1 with Allan Turner

Cherry Orchard a play by A. Chekhov. Yasha

*

2015 Cirque has arrived

New Year  show Viva Cabaret in Edmonton, AL

Alice in the Winderland. Musical. Dodo, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, Luwis Carroll 

Viva Cabaret, Wicked Magic in Vancouver, BC

premiered an Aerial Act for Lunacy Cabaret "Dancin' Zebra"

actor on TV Show BITTEN

premiered Magic show WICKED

became an ACTRA member

got kicked out of a Clown School

Raw-Monroe at Contemporary Circus Arts Festival Toronto

Actor for Feature Film: "Operation Insanity"

Hosted two concerts for ARCAF at Richmind Hill Centre for the Performing Arts

Aerial Hoops classes

Bouffon worskshop with Adam Lazurus

Wedding MC and Viva Cabaret in Edmonton July 18

Las Vegas

Viva Cabaret in Vancouver July 11

Montreal. Circus Festival

Emcee for ZGC for Canada Day at Celebration Square, Mussissauga 

YURY's THEATRE DEMO REEL: https://youtu.be/iE8wWGu-Z9w 

In The Dark - theatre experience. Toronto. June 14

Montreal. FTA. Cirque. TOHU. Cirque.Atwater Marche

New York City. shows. biking. theatre.

Viva Cabaret in NYC, for Polish Festival. May 24th

Montreal. FTA

Toronto International Circus Festival. Host. May 16, 17, 18

learning an earial hoop

auditioned with two new acts: YUKA & duo YO! for ZGC

Theatre Experiment in multylanguages perfromance. UofT. May 16, 17

Scene Study with Sonia Norris, Odd Couple by Neil Simon. Felix

Viva Cabaret in Houston, Texas, April 17th

Viva Cabaret in Edmonton. March 7th

Hills, Wine, Hills, de Young museum, and more hiills of San Francisco.

YO-Luna Show in Vancouver. February 14th

Bricks, Beers, Mattress Factory. Pittsburgh.

Ocean. Mojito. Cuba.

2014 wonderful year

Viva Cabaret's New Year's Eve show at Amulet / Arbat / Red Square / Arbat

celebrated 6 years perfroming in Canada. Dec 27th @ Moscow Nights Restaurant

premiered Yo-Luna Show with 4 perfromances on  Dec 12th, 13th and 14th.

auditioned for and were accepted to Zero Grvity Circus

creating circus-cabaret show Yo-Luna! http://ruzhyev.wix.com/yoluna

Ocean. Beach. Mojito. Dominican Republic.

Stratford Festival: Mother Courage, Dream at Chamber, Hay Fever, Masks and Sonnets, Christina the girl King, Mid Summer's Night Dream... and I flew a plane. 

Spanish centre has my face on the ad on Toronto subway.

Canadian Road Trip - Montreal - Quebec City - Camping on the Lakes and Rivers in New Brunswick - PEI - Halifax - Quebec  - Montreal Pride.

People like you got accepted to Madonna's Arts for Freedom Festival. 

Volcano Conservatory. Free Belarus Theatre. Chorus. Remaking History. Colective Creation. Improve.

18, 19, 20 of July, Komunka at Fringe Hamilton.

Komunka  a play about crazy Russians at Fringe Festival Toronto, July 3 - 13.

Celebrating 6 years in Canada.

Became a Canadian!

Smashing success on 25, 26 of June. The Rivoli, Viva Cabaret. World Pride show.

InForming Content Theatre Workshop by Volcano Theatre.

Actor  in "Dead Guy Walkng"  Episode 5 "Price of Austria" (TV)

Participated in a vieo the "First Gay Hug"

Playing Andrei in "People Like You, short film by Ron Kennell. Stratford, ON

co-producing short film "People Like You"

Las Vegas trip: KA, Absinth.

March 8th Viva Cabaret in Vancouver, BC

NYC theatre trip: Sleep no more, Waitng for Godot, La Soiree, The Late Saow.

Feb 28th Viva Cabaret in NYC, USA

Feb 23rd Workshop performance of Komunka at Glad Day Book Store

Started Clown work with Sonia Norris

Road trip & beaches: New York - Miami - Key West - Tampa - Orlando - Jacksonville - Daytona Beach - Fort Lauderdale - Miami Beach - Los Angeles

the birth of HOOLIGANS THEATRE

2013

3 shows on New Year's eve: Amulet, Elite, Arbat

Viva Cabaret live at the The Rivoli, Dec 15th.

Show's 9th season teaser: https://vimeo.com/80943875

Photo shoot with Drasko for Viva Cabaret, Season 9

First Unuon gig. Actor for Beaty and the Beast TV show. 

Writing play Коммуналка to open in February 2014

Rehearsing new Viva Cabaret goes Cirques show

Taking accent classes for general American accent 

Principal role in Asset Web Series: http://www.assettheseries.com

Mask and Le Jeu Workshop

Premiered Michael Jackson, Adriano Celentano, Жанна Агузарова acts

Playing two contrasting characters (Street trash whore and Film Noir film director) in Waak Revolt film

Gargantua Theatre Master Class, the biggining of the play...

Interviewd on CBC Radio, Metro Morning about gay Russian and Olympic Games

Auditioned for Stanley in StreetCar Named Desire

Volcano Theatre Conservatory - life chaning experience

Filming for TV: "Hardcore Heroes", WWII, Russian Special Forces, Milton

Winner of the Talent contest at Woody's, Toronto.

Sneak peak prevew of Viva Cabret the movie, New York, June 29th

Participating in Directig in the Performing Arts Summit at Humber College. June

Working as Assistant Director on a film set for "Allie has an affair"

Working in Art Department for a film "Monster Bash"

Studying Camera, Lights and Editing at LIFT June - July

Director of Events for Scarborough Film Festival June 4th- 9th

Actor in a TV show Motives and Murders

Trailer to a new movie "Life is a Cabaret": http://vimeo.com/62451784 

Filming for Faces of Toronto. actor

VARIETY.TO performer / producer / director

Cuba for birthday.

Rehearsing Hamlet

Scarborough Film Festival - Director of Events. May

Private Event - Filming the short film at Loft 404

NYC and Long Island trip.

Road trip in California: Napa Valley - San Francisco - Santa Cruz - Montrey - Big Sur - Santa Barbara -  Mlibu - Los Angeles - San Diego - Long Beach - Los Angeles

 

2012 frustrating year

New Year show in Vancouver, BC

Christmas show. NYC

Amsterdam, Moscow, NYC

Red Party at Vlada Lounge. NYC. October

Saw musical Chaplin on Broadway

Visited Montreal and saw Cirque Eloize and  Learned Ladies at Theatre of New World

I am reperesented by Hines Management

show for NYC PRIDE

Saw "At the End of the Rainow" about Judy Garland on her death anniversary

Visited Las Vegas and San Francisco

Viva Cabaret on tour in Vancouver

University of Toronto: Academic English

role of Puck in Mid Summer's Night Dream, NYC, USA and Stradford upon Avon, England

artisitic vacation

graduated from a bartending school

2011 going big

Cosmos, Brooklyn, New Year's eve

Viva Cabaret at Julius Bar, the oldest gay bar in New York

guest apperiance in Queen show at Industry bar, NYC, december

a part in TV show "SMASH" on NBC, november

Winner of the talent show, Therapy Bar, november

moved to NEW YORK CITY

Visited Moscow

Lead in TV film for Oprah Winfrey Network "Unfaithful"

(http://www.oprah.com/own-unfaithful/Unfaithful-Preview-Kristin-and-Chad)

Actor in SF "Encounter" for New York Film Academy

Actor (The Rat) in theatre/ dance performance of "Ella and the Rat". Transac, August, 13

Tour in Vancouver, BC. July & August 

Live in concert at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.  June, 29

The Gladstone Hotel presents ViVA CABARET monthly from may to november

Two Dancers join the show.

Viva Cabaret Press Preview. The Gladstone Hotel. Ballroom. March, 22

Yury's Cabaret changes its name to VIVA CABARET

Visited Mexico &  visited and performed in Las Vegas

2010 first significant achievements

Yury’s Cabaret is in New York City on December 25th

Screenwriter and Director of a short film “Christmas Adventure”

Went to NYC to see musicals, Radio City Hall and make some kick ass costumes

Yury is an Opening Act for Rock of Ages the musical at The Royal Alexandra Theatre It was the scariest and the most exiting thing so far

Creator, director and star in So You Think You Can Dance with a Drag Queen

Yury’s Cabaret toursin Bermuda (Hamilton City Theatre)

Visited Cape Cod, Boston, Costa Rica and Bermuda

Actor. Dance Film “Pas Seulement Deux” screened in Toronto during Nuit Blanche (http://www.onestopallnight.com/10/ )

Actor. Documentary “Great Inventions” for Discovery Channel

Saw Liza, Tina and Kylie live in concert These girls rock!

Actor. “The Kitchen Party Nervous Break Down” Directed by Sky Gilbert Theatre debut in Canada

Lead. Suferian in a feature film “There is no undo” (www.thereisnoundo.com)

2009 films and tours

Yury’s Cabaret tours in Vancouver, BC (four times) and Seattle, USA (three times)

Lead. Suferian in a short film “Wrong Number” It was a female part, but I got it and they rewrote it for me

Actor. Johny in Bollywood feature “The Taste of Relations” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1502960/)

Yury’s Cabaret featured in AGO, FLY, The Gladstone Hotel, Buddies at Bad Times Theater

Actor. Karma. short film for CFC (http://www.thereelchallenge.ca/video/?videoId=3416)

Visited London, UK, Barcelona, Spain and Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Actor. The Queen. Commercial video for Henry’s Cameras (link to the photo)

Actor. “Mirror Echo” short film for Ryerson Film School

Actor. “The Dream” short film. Humber College Productions

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByzbIuH3VFn_OTQxMGQ2NzQtMjRhYy00ZjY5LWEzN2UtODJiZTVmN2UzZWIy&hl=en&pli=1

2008 new life / new world 

The great move to Canada

Degree in Fine Arts. Acting. Boris Shukin Theatre Institute (affiliated with Vakhtangov Theatre)

The Dream came true. Entered the best Drama school in Europe

Actor. Khlestakov in “Government’s Inspector” by N.V. Gogol

Saw Robbie Williams and George Michael live in concert

Actor. Tartuffe in “Tartuffe” by J.B. Moliere

2007 theatre

Theatre debut. Misha Balsaminov in “Balsaminov’s Wedding” by Ostrovsky My only performance my mom watched so far and she was mo excited about coffee after

Hosted over 700 parties and events including 200 weddings as a Master of Ceremonies

2006 performing is the true calling

Leading actor in Dream Factory show. Saw their show when I was 18 and felt in love. Now I am one of them!

Creator, director and leading actor in Cabaret show

Toured across Russia and performed on every major stage in Moscow

2005 radical career change

The beginning of Yury’s Cabaret show What supposed to be a joke, turned into a career

Freelancer in event planning business Had some pretty big clients, like Holiday Inn,GlaxoSmithKlein, Phillip Morris, MARS, LEGO

Graduating from Russian Performance Arts School

Lead. 12 episodes of photo comics for “Queer” Russian Gay Magazine

2004 corporate world

Event Planner for MARY KAY company

Workshop. Back stage management. Dallas, USA

Visited Cuba

DJ on Radio MEGA (No, not my thing really)

2003 freelancing begins

Event Planner. Election Campaign for Russian Democratic Party. St Petersburg, Russia

CEO of Atlas Mira. Travel Company

First visit to New York City, Chicago & Washington. Visited Switzerland

2002 business career and travels

The Head of Marketing Department in travel company Atlas Mira

Visited Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, Tunisia

Head of Hotel Entertainment in Varna, Bulgaria

Started thinking about acting. Read a book of Stanislavsky’s while traveled in Sahara desert

2001

Graduated from Moscow University of Business Administration. Finally

MBA in Marketing and Economics

Hosted the very first wedding. It was the very first paying gig as well

Came out. Left home and dived into independent life. Met some friends, whom I am still with

2000 a year off school

Marketing Manager in travel Company Atlas Mira

Head of Entertainment in a summer Hotel in Ukraine

1999 first time director and producer

Head of events department at Moscow Institute of Business Administration

Creator and director of city’s only independent dancers competition, Moscow

1998 new language means new life

FCE. Cambridge exam in English language Such a smart thing to do

Diploma in Accounting & Office Management. Moscow College of Business Administration

1993-2001 student years

Studying. Dreaming. Becoming

1993

Dance School. Jazz & Ballroom. Theatre  studio

1978 – 1993 childhood

I can only say, that I am very happy with and proud of and thankful to my parents. The way my parents brought me up, taught me and supported me in important things. Thank you Mom & Dad. Especially Mom.

1978 (:-)) march 5th

The beginning