MONROE, Conn. — Masuk High School seniors Ryan Sokira and Lainey Grumet, who have been friends since kindergarten, share a passion for the arts. This month they will perform together in “A Chorus Line” at the Downtown Caberet Theatre in Bridgeport. After serving as a cultural hub in the region for five decades, it will be the final show before the historic theater closes its doors for good.
“It is so so unfortunate that the Downtown Cabaret Theatre is closing once the show finishes production in late June,” Sokira said. “And it is also unfortunate that this is my first and last show with the Cabaret! However, it is still very incredible that I got to be part of this amazing legacy that the Cabaret has built over 51 years.”
“I went to many shows at Downtown Cabaret as a child, but this is my first time performing on its stage,” Grumet said. “My very first theater performance I saw was ‘Pinkalicious’ there when I was three! It feels incredible to be a part of this final production with such a talented cast!”
Sokira expressed sadness over the theater’s imminent closing.
“To think that I’ve been watching musicals here since I was seven-years-old and now, almost 11 years later, as I’m growing into an adult, that kids won’t have the opportunity to see productions performed at this venue is really heartbreaking,” he said.
“However, I think ending the Cabaret’s run with ‘A Chorus Line’ is ultimately a poetic ending with the show’s overall message of universal humanity,” Sokira added. “Despite the rejection, financial instability, and physical toll of the entertainment industry, the joy of doing what you love, in this case performing, makes any sacrifices all worthwhile.”
An online petition on Change.org urging Bridgeport officials and the landlord to work together to save the Cabaret Theatre has garnered 6,347 signatures.
Grumet and Sokira answered questions about the show and their careers in the arts in a Sun interview below:
What role are you playing in “A Chorus Line”? Tell me about your character.
Ryan Sokira: I play the role of Mike Costa, who is this spunky and flamboyant character from Trenton, New Jersey. Mike is the character in the line who’s known to be extremely loud and the first to jump out and volunteer himself. He’s also a perfectionist.
Mike also sings the first singing solo in the show called “I Can Do That,” which is a pretty famous song from the show. Performing and dancing that song with a Bronx/New Jersey accent has been such a fun and difficult challenge!
Lainey Grumet: Maggie Winslow. She is a sweet and wistful character who used ballet as an escape from her broken family.
How did you prepare for your role?
Grumet: Due to Maggie being an extremely vocally challenging role, I focused a lot of my efforts into making sure I was utilizing the proper vocal technique to do her songs justice. I also needed to take care of myself physically as the show as a whole requires a lot of stamina, due to the elaborate choreography and the line being on stage for the majority of the show.
Sokira: For my role specifically, I had to do a lot of character work to master the Bronx accent aspect of my lines. But really when it came down to opening night, what ultimately prepared me and the rest of the cast was a lot, a lot, a lot of dance training. Training to build stamina, so we can sing at the same time.
“A Chorus Line” is a two hour show performed without an intermission, most of the time the people on the line don’t leave the stage, and when we do, it’s not for very long, so we really had to lock in all of our choreography, our vocals, on top of all of our character work to maintain energy and not let any audience see how tired we actually are onstage!
And our cast was extremely lucky to have an amazing creative team help us develop our characters. Our director, Brad Blake really kept us in touch with our own creativity and his vision for the show overall.
What do you think of being in this show together before life after Masuk?
Grumet: This has been special because Ryan and I were in shows together as children, but have not performed in a show together since middle school.
Sokira: Lainey and I, we’ve known each other since we were five-years-old and met at kindergarten orientation at Fawn Hollow. To think that more than a decade would pass and we are doing this amazing show together before we graduate Masuk is super amazing!
From a very young age, we both knew that we wanted to do this for our careers.We actually at seven-years-old saw our first Broadway Show together! At 13, I moved houses and it just so happened we now are also neighbors. And now we’re going to the same college for the same BFA in Musical Theater; and doing the most fun show together where we happen to be right next to each to other in line for almost the entire show! I don’t believe all of this is a coincidence, I think it’s fate.
When did you first get into the performing arts? What or who inspired you? What do you like most about performing?
Grumet: I performed in my first musical when I was seven with the Two Planks Theatre Company. I was inspired by the older kids in my productions as I saw how hard working they were and always wanted to be just like them when I grew up.
The thing I love most about performing is being able to share a story, not just with the audience, but also all of my cast mates. The bond that is formed when doing a show is truly one of the strongest.
Sokira: I got into the performing arts when I was around seven-years-old. I was never really into sports, but I knew that I wanted to take dance classes. And that’s kind of what boosted me into the realm of musical theater.
I’m not really sure what inspired me to get into performing, however I like to believe it was my mom’s passion for the arts that made me hyper-fixate on my craft today! From a young age, I knew I wanted for this to be my career path for my future!
I love that there are multitudes to performing musicals and plays. There’s different genres, different characters, different songs, and different messages that give audiences a sense of escape from reality and joy whereas sports, even though there are different types and they offer happiness to fans, they don’t necessarily delve into characters or spontaneously break out into song!
Were you involved with the Masuk Drama Club all four years? Were you involved in any other organizations?
Grumet: While I attended Masuk for my academics, I actually went to a separate school for the performing arts called the Regional Center for the Arts (RCA) where I concentrated in musical theatre for all four years of high school.
For the past 13 years I have taken dance at Monroe Dance Academy, which was really helpful for this show, and have also been involved with the Trumbull Youth Association every summer since I was 13, performing in their past four shows.
Sokira: I joined Masuk Drama Club my sophomore year of high school! Back in 2023, I joined during the fall musical, “Mean Girls,” in which I played the role of Damian Hubbard. Since that show, I would be a part of every single Masuk production until the end of my senior year!
I was also involved during my time at Masuk with Masuk Choir and the Tri-M Music Honors Society, where I held several officer positions including choir secretary, choir president, section leader, and most recently Tri-M president!
Outside of Masuk I have done shows with the Warner Theater, Brookfield Theater, Newtown Stage Company and Two Planks Theater Company. I danced at Monroe Dance Academy for 11 years.
What was your favorite show and/or role in your time at Masuk?
Grumet: Over the past four years, I think my favorite show would have to have been “The Lighting Thief at TYA” where I played Sally Jackson. The direction of the show was amazing and the entire cast was really committed and hard working.
Sokira: I loved all of my roles/shows I played at Masuk for different reasons! However if I had to pick, it’s a tie between Emerson in “WCKY” and Sam Carmichael in “Mamma Mia!” Both of these shows were my senior year and, I would multitask rehearsals with auditioning/applying to 34-plus colleges, so I had to really be on top of my game with learning my material and doing my own character work on top of it!
Specifically, for Emerson, an incredibly dramatic voice actor for the radio station, WCKY, the challenge was trying to master the different voices and personalities along with his counterpart, Veronica, played by Shamyra Andrews. There would be several scenes where we would have to overlap our lines and time everything just right for the comedic effect and it ultimately paid off.
Last month, Masuk High School attended the Halo Awards, in which Shamyra and I were nominated for Best Dynamic Duo and we won the award! For both of us, it was so incredible to be recognized for our work and we were thrilled beyond belief! Also, to be able to be recognized for a role in which I was rehearsing for during a very stressful time in my life with college auditions was just so special and amazing!
What’s your ultimate goal in the entertainment business?
Grumet: All my life, I have loved every aspect of the musical theater world. Whether in rehearsals or on stage, either for a touring or local production, I know I will be happy doing this thing that I love. After committing so much of my life to this craft, I can’t imagine devoting the rest of it to anything else.
Along with my ultimate goal to perform professionally in musical theater, I also plan on continuing with my voice-over work, as it is something that I can often do remotely in my own time, while still being creative.
Sokira: To keep it short and sweet, the ultimate goal is to make it in the entertainment industry and hopefully one day make it to Broadway, or perform nationally/regionally. That would be the dream job! I’d also love to eventually work as a choreographer and director.
Where are you going to school next fall?
Sokira: The University at Buffalo! Double major: BFA Musical Theater and BA Dance.
Grumet: The University at Buffalo, pursuing a dual degree with a BFA in Music Theatre and a BA in Computer Science.
What would you say to promote “A Chorus Line”? Are a lot of family and friends going to see it? Has your family been strong supporters of yours?
Sokira: My family has always been my biggest supporters throughout the college auditions process and during rehearsals for “A Chorus Line!” And I’m so grateful that my family and a lot of my friends have come to the Cabaret to see it live and are planning on coming to see it!
I would promote this show by saying, if you want to come behind the scenes of Broadway’s most intense audition, join us for a night of unforgettable iconic music like “At The Ballet,” “The Music and The Mirror,” “I Can Do That,” “I Hope I Get It,” and “What I Did For Love” and experience the 50th anniversary of a show full of high-energy dance and amazing actors!
Grumet: It is a fantastic show that is just as much about the individuals as it is about the ensemble. Its story is a reflection into the world of theatre and the struggles that artists face in pursuit of their dreams. The message of “A Chorus Line” is even more important than ever, as we are seeing a theater that has been at the heart of Connecticut now having to close its doors.
So many of my friends and family are going to see it! I feel so lucky to have their support, not only for this show, but for all the ones I have done up until this point.
My family has always been strong supporters of me, and in particular my mom and dad, as I wouldn’t be able to pursue theater as a career without their consistent support and encouragement.
Is there anything I didn’t ask about that you want to share?
Grumet: I just want to give a final shout out to my teachers at RCA, Kellie Rosati and Allison Fay, who have really supported and assisted me throughout my musical theater journey, and once again my parents for always pushing me to be the best I can be.
All respectful comments with the commenter’s first and last name are welcome.
