Sophia Volpe to perform in CWCT production of Les Miserables

The Central Wisconsin Children’s Theater’s (CWCT) production of Les Miserables at the Veninga Theater at UW Center for Civic Engagement on the UW-SP campus in Wausau kicked off last weekend. This weekend’s performance, the four shows Feb. 20-23, 2025, will feature a young Merrill actress, Sophia Volpe, who will play the role of Young Cosette.
Les Miserables will showcase a talented cast of mostly high school performers from school districts across North Central Wisconsin, but Sophia landed one of the limited children’s roles.
Sophia was selected for the role from more than 30 other children from the area who auditioned to perform in this School Edition of the production. She was one of two girls cast as Young Cosette. Typically, the Director will “double cast” the younger children, Sophia’s mother said, just in case of any circumstances that might cause one of the younger children to miss a show.
“I play Young Cosette, who has a bit of a rough life,” Sophia said. “I am excited to perform and be on stage with so many of my favorite people!”
“There are only two child roles in Les Mis, Young Cosette and Gavroche,” said Laura Hunt, a volunteer who is helping promote the production.

“Sophia is a rising musical theater and vocal talent,” she said. “Last June she performed the role of Dorothy in CWCT’s Wizard of Oz last summer, and was Chip in Central Wisconsin Educational Theatre Alliance’s Beauty and the Beast at the Grand Theater last February.”
“From the first note from the orchestra to the last triumphant song, you will be transported to France in the early 1800s, with all the joy, heartbreak, love, loss, and redemption that tells the beautiful story of Les Misérables,” said Cindi Strobel, Assistant Director of the production. “The events depicted in Les Mis (the June Rebellion of 1832) really happened, and it’s a story we all need to experience. Everyone should see Les Mis at least once in their life and this is the one to see!”
Tickets for the production are available online at: cwct.booktix.com/.
“This is a really compelling piece that hasn’t been done in the area for many years and features a regional cast from over 10 schools that has come together to perform this piece with a live pit orchestra and a hand-built set,” Hunt said. “It’s a very high level in terms of talent and production for Central Wisconsin.”
The children cast for the production are from throughout the region. “One of the great things about doing a show like this is that you bring in teens from all over the central Wisconsin area,” Strobel said. “It’s a very different experience from high school theatre because it really broadens their perspective, [and]they learn to work with a wider variety of people, from fellow cast members to adult directors. I’m always telling the kids I work with that theatre is a family; a show like this just adds more members to that family.”
“When I was 8, I watched Merrill High School’s production of Mamma Mia and loved it,” Sophia said. “I got serious about acting, though, after an acting camp at the Wausau Conservatory when I was 10.” Sophia just recently turned 12 years old and attends sixth grade at Newman Catholic Middle School.
“Sophia really began acting only a little over a year ago,” said Sophia’s mother, Maria Volpe. “Since that time, she has played Chip in CWETA’s production of Beauty and the Beast, Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Puck in Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Bird Girl in Seussical the Musical—all through CWCT.”
Sophia said when she found out about the production of Les Miserables, “I was really excited to audition!”
Before performing, she said, she doesn’t get stage fright. “I just get excitement nerves to go on stage!”
Sophia said her favorite thing about performing is “Being able to work with so many talented friends and making great memories” and her least favorite is “When there are ‘quick costume changes’ during the show and there is a wardrobe malfunction.”
With so many acting credits to her name in such a short timeframe, the sky is the limit for Sophia, and she has big dreams to match. “Someday, I would like to be cast in Wicked, and my biggest dream is to perform on Broadway,” she said.
She is already venturing out of state to pursue her acting this summer. “I am going to be playing the lead role in Annie at the American Gothic Musical Festival in Ottumwa, Iowa, in June 2025,” Sophia said. “I will continue to audition for CWETA and CWCT productions, as well.”

Links to more video content with sneak peeks and rehearsal clips featuring  Sophia Volpe performing and singing as Young Cosette. In the video clip is Cayley Gosney as Madame Thenardier and Aila Dunn as Young Eponine.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z3RFk2-xd6jUHYGPf7a6qa25aH4m1lYD/view?usp=drive_link

 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAHBhbaYKnMJVpVwkJEjTvKGAQWiP7GbP&feature=shared

Character profile for Sophia's Young Cosette:  https://youtu.be/kED8ESA2nY4?feature=shared