A Musical Theater Composing Duo
Samsel/ Anderson have been writing partners for 13 years, penning four full length musicals for the stage, and working on multiple animation and live action musical projects with various studios and production companies.
Between the Lines
Between the Lines is the hit new musical based on the best-selling YA novel by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer that played Off-Broadway at the Tony Kiser theater in the summer of 2022. Produced by Daryl Roth and directed by Tony Award winner, Jeff Calhoun, Between the Lines features a book by Timothy Allen McDonald and a score by Samsel/ Anderson. It received three Outer Critics Circle nominations including Outstanding New Score, and four Drama Desk nominations including Best Music and Best Musical.
From the Reviews:
“… songs by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson are, to use a Disney cliche, absolutely enchanting.”
“Inner Thoughts” and “Mr. Darcy and Me” take “Between the Lines” into musical-theater valhalla” - Robert Hoffer, The Wrap
“… With so few musicals serving up teen angst without simultaneously carving up our insides, I heartily believe there is a hungry audience out there just waiting to answer the siren call of Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson’s alternately charming and life-affirming score.” - Hayley Levitt, Off-Broadway
Central Park
Kate and Elyssa were the in-house composing team for the hit Apple TV+ animated series from the minds of Josh Gad and Loren Bouchard. They contributed 50 songs over the show’s three seasons.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure
Kate and Elyssa wrote the Annie Award nominated songs for this Frozen Featurette. It premiered in theaters alongside Pixar’s Coco, before airing on ABC. It is now available for Streaming on the Disney+ App. Featuring the voices of Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Jonathan Groff, this soundtrack also features an additional bonus song entitled “The Ballad of Flemingrad”, where you can hear Elyssa on the violin.