Anika Larsen

Anika Larsen is an American actress and singer whose Broadway career has spanned from 1996 to 2022. Raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she grew up in a blended family that included adopted children from Cambodia, Vietnam, and America. Larsen studied theatre at Yale University, where she also sang with the a cappella choir Shades.

Larsen made her Broadway debut in 2000 as a member of the ensemble in Rent. Her early career also included originating the role of Roberta in the Off-Broadway cult musical Zanna, Don't! in 2002, a performance that earned her a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She returned to Broadway in 2005 in the ensemble of All Shook Up and in 2007 joined the original Broadway ensemble of Xanadu. She has additionally performed the roles of Lucy the Slut and Kate Monster in Avenue Q across national tour, Broadway, and Off-Broadway productions.

Larsen received significant recognition for her portrayal of songwriter Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, earning both a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical in 2014. She later starred as Elaine Miller in Almost Famous, the musical adaptation of Cameron Crowe's film of the same name, which featured additional music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and received its world premiere at The Old Globe Theatre in 2019. The role of Elaine Miller was originated on screen by Frances McDormand.

Beyond her stage work, Larsen founded the Jaradoa Theatre Company, which integrates performance with community service. In 2009, a musical drawn from her own experiences growing up in a blended adoptive family, titled Shafrika: The White Girl, was staged at the Vineyard Theatre. She has also released an album of recordings titled Sing You To Sleep. In 2015, Larsen married musician Freddie Maxwell; the couple have two sons, Kie Larsen Maxwell and Ashe.