Young actress takes on ‘Mamma Mia!' role at Majestic

Hunt is making her national tour debut as the impulsive young woman who wants her father to walk her down the aisle even though her mother has never revealed his identity. Not knowing which of three ex-lovers of her mom her father may have been, Sophie decides to invite all three to the wedding without telling her mother.

The 22-year-old actress originally from Vermont spoke with 210SA about what drew her to the role of Sophie and whether she has become a rabid ABBA fan after being in this musical based on the Swedish pop group’s songs.

Tell us a little about your character Sophie and why you were drawn to this role.

She is Donna’s daughter and she lives on the Greek island with her mom. She’s grown up with her mom her whole life, and she doesn’t know who her father is. Her mom won’t discuss it with her. She’s a really bright, energetic girl. She’s pretty gutsy and impulsive. She kind of creates all the chaos in the plot of “Mamma Mia!” ... I hadn’t seen the show before I auditioned for it. So I kind of gave it my own take. ... (The character is) young, and we’re similar in a lot of ways, but one of the things that drew me to her is her carefree impulsiveness that I don’t have. I’m a little more careful, and I tend to think things through. ... It’s kind of fun to be that way for a while.

How does the role of Sophie compare to your previous roles as Eponine in “Les Misérables” and Belle in “Beauty and the Beast?”

The whole experience is completely different. Those shows were both at regional theaters over summer because I just graduated college in December at New York University. So this is my first professional job. ... And it’s my first tour, so that alone is completely different. But it’s a lot of fun to play someone who is my age and is really bright, and she’s modern.

How did you first get into theater acting?

I’ve been doing it pretty much as long as I can remember. I started taking dance classes when I was 3 or 4 and just continued. My first experience with theater was when I was 8. I did a theater day camp up the street from my house. ... I think that’s when I caught the bug.

The musical is based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA. Were you a fan of ABBA before now?