Sue Anderson, beloved and extraordinarily talented, passed away on May 1, 2025, following a long battle with cancer. She was 70.
Born and raised in Frederic, Wisconsin, to parents Alice and Maynard, Sue was a piano and organ virtuoso, a Miss Frederic Pageant winner, and a proud member of FFA. She majored in music and business at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire.
After graduating college, Sue moved to New York City and began working as a medical secretary until she landed her first musical role: musical director of The First All Children’s Theatre. Her Broadway career soon took off. She became associate conductor for “My Fair Lady”, then keyboardist and conductor for “Pirates of Penzance”. Sue went on to play for “Me and My Girl” and became musical director and conductor of “Cats”. Her other Broadway credits include “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “The Woman in White”, “Spamalot”, “The Lion King”, and ”Jerry’s Girls”.
Beyond Broadway, Sue conducted Pops concerts with the Milwaukee, Detroit, Phoenix, Portland, and Shreveport orchestras, and led the London Philharmonic. She regularly performed at Carnegie Hall with Field Studies International, and was an associate at The Westchester Broadway Theatre. Her film work included “Clever Jack”, “Svengali”, and “The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley”. She recorded at Abbey Road Studios and made three albums with her husband, Cris, whom she met while working with the improv group Broadway Local.
Sue and Cris moved to Croton-on-Hudson, New York in 1987, married in 1989, and had two children, Lucas and Emily, in 1992 and 1994.
Following her Broadway career, Sue continued to share her gift by playing piano for her husband, as well as for various schools, churches, and choirs throughout New York City and the Hudson Valley. She loved walking, reading, and baking.
Sue’s passing leaves a profound void in both the personal and artistic communities she touched. She moved through the world with a carefree and generous spirit—marked by kindness, love, and grace. Her presence made others feel important. Her warmth and unconditional love were felt by all who knew her.
She passed these qualities on to her children, Lucas and Emily Groenendaal, whom she cherished and was deeply proud of. She will be missed dearly by her children, her husband of 40 years, Cris, her siblings David and Judy Anderson, and her nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.
