Anika Larsen (born December 19, 1973) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2014 for portraying

Cynthia Weil Cynthia Weil (October 18, 1940 – June 1, 2023) was an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband Barry Mann. Weil and Mann were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987, and in 2011, they jointly received the ...

in '' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical''. Larsen has made an album of recordings titled, ''Sing You To Sleep''.

Personal life

Larsen was raised in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

in a blended family of adopted children, from Cambodia, Vietnam, and America. She studied theatre at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and performed in the a cappella choir, ''Shades''. In 2015 she married musician Freddie Maxwell and gave birth to their first child, a son named Kie Larsen Maxwell. In 2017, she gave birth to their second son, Ashe.

Career

Larsen made her Broadway debut in 2000 in the ensemble of ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

''. In 2002 she originated the role of Roberta in the cult Off-Broadway musical, ''

Zanna, Don't! ''Zanna, Don't!'' (subtitled "A Musical Fairy Tale") is a 2003 musical theater, musical written by Tim Acito with additional lyrics and material by Alexander Dinelaris. The story is set in a parallel universe where homosexuality is the norm and het ...

'', for which she received a

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2005 she again appeared on Broadway in the ensemble of ''

All Shook Up "All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley, published by Elvis Presley Music, and composed by Otis Blackwell. The single topped the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top 100 on April 13, 1957, staying there for nine weeks. It also topped the ''Billboa ...

'' and in 2007 performed in the original Broadway ensemble of '' Xanadu''. She has also performed in ''

Avenue Q '' Avenue Q'' is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and a book by Jeff Whitty. It won Best Musical, Book, and Score at the 2004 Tony Awards. The show's format is a parody ...

'' playing the role of Lucy the Slut/Kate Monster on National Tour, Broadway, and Off-Broadway. In 2019, The

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which is collec ...

premiered the musical ''Almost Famous'', based on the

Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American filmmaker and journalist. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. Crowe started his career a ...

film of the same name, with additional music and lyrics by Tom Kitt, with Larsen starring as Elaine Miller (played by

Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...

in the film. Larsen is the founder of the Jaradoa Theatre Company, which combines performance with community service. In 2009 a musical based on her own life, titled ''Shafrika: The White Girl'', dealing with her experiences of living with a blended adoptive family, was staged at the

Vineyard Theatre The Vineyard Theatre is a 120-seat Off-Broadway non-profit theatre company, located at 108 East 15th Street in Manhattan, New York City, near Union Square. Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give ...

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Larsen, Anika 1973 births American stage actresses Living people Singers from Massachusetts 21st-century American singers 21st-century American actresses