Gavin Creel, the Tony Award-winning star celebrated for his roles in Broadway musicals like Hello, Dolly! and Hair, passed away on Monday in Manhattan, his partner confirmed. He was 48.
Creel succumbed to metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer he was diagnosed with in July.
Despite his diagnosis, Creel continued acting until December, performing his final role in the experimental musical Walk On Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice at MCC Theater.
Born in Findlay, Ohio, on April 18, 1976, Creel’s Broadway breakthrough came in 2002 when he played Jimmy in Jeanine Tesori’s Thoroughly Modern Millie alongside Sutton Foster. During previews, Creel suffered a knee injury that temporarily sidelined him, forcing him to watch from the wings while his understudy performed with Foster each night.
“I felt like a jealous ex-boyfriend,” Creel told The Post of the experience. “It was like I’d fallen in love with her.” He recovered and returned to the stage, delivering a standout performance with the song “What Do I Need With Love?” and earning his first Tony nomination.
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Known for his talent in musical comedy, Creel later starred in iconic shows including La Cage aux Folles, The Book of Mormon, She Loves Me, Waitress, Hello, Dolly!, and Into the Woods. His career reached its peak in 2017 when he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly!, starring Bette Midler.
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