Elyssa Samsel

composer

Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson are the LA-based Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominated songwriting duo behind Apple TV’s Central Park, Disney Animation’s Olaf’s Frozen Adventure (Annie nomination), the off-Broadway Musical, Between the Lines (Drama Desk, OCC nominated) , and The Book Thief which played the Leicester Curve and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre in the UK. In the spring of 2025 they premiered their fourth full length musical, Austenland (adaptation of Shannon Hale’s novel of the same title) as a concert at the Savoy Theatre on West End. Similarly, The Book Thief premiered in concert at the Prince of Wales Theatre on West End in the fall of 2025. The two are with Disney Publishing and recently contributed the official song of the 70th Anniversary of Disneyland, "Celebrate Happy", recorded by the Jonas Brothers. They contributed a song to the newest Prep & Landing: Snowball Protocol on Disney+, co-composed with Chris Willis and performed by Sarah Chalke.