I was fortunate enough to have seen him in Hello, Dolly! the Saturday night before the 2017 Tonys. I also attended the ceremony the following night. I'll never forget how cool it was that his former Throughly Modern Millie leading lady, Sutton Foster, was one of the people who presented him his award.
Stand-by Joined: 5/23/21
Had the pleasure of seeing him in Dolly 4 times and Woods 3 and She Loves Me. What a fantastic performer and person who seemed to be adored by all he orbited. What a loss. I am devastated. F*CK CANCER!!!
Updated On: 9/30/24 at 01:18 PM
Truly devastating. There are a handful of performers whose work just means so much to one personally. I never met Gavin, but I saw and adored him in Into the Woods; Hello, Dolly; Walk on Through; She Loves Me; La Cage; and an almost embarrassing number of times in Hair. He was a bright light, and he will be sorely missed. Sending endless love to his partner, friends, and family. What an awful blow.
I hope we get to see/hear even an archival of Walk On Through so I can hear some of his story in the way he wrote that piece.
This interview he did with Paul Wontorek from 2015 has always been a point of inspiration for me. Especially, when he starts talking about BC/EFA and the AIDS epidemic effect on the theatre community in New York. His dedication to BC/EFA and to the community will be sorely missed.
After seeing him onstage many times, I met him at a small party several years ago and talked to him for a while. I don't remember what we talked about, but I do remember that when he spoke to you it felt like you were the most important thing to him in that moment. Just genuine charisma, kindness, and star quality. I can't believe we'll never see him onstage again.
Creel was also a guiding light and a trustee for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS, playing a huge role in their fundraising efforts year after year.
His “Give a Little Bit” cover lives in my head and helps drive home the simple message of the organization.
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/21/06
One of the few times I actually cried at the passing of a Broadway actor. He's of my generation so I feel like I "grew up" with him. Fortunate to have seen him perform live. May he forever sing in glory
jacobsnchz14 said: "I hope we get to see/hear even an archival of Walk On Through so I can hear some of his story in the way he wrote that piece."
I saw the picture before reading the caption. Totally shocked by the news. Was fortunate enough to have met him several times over the years and he was always upbeat and excited to meet people. RIP.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/27/19
The NYT obituary
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/theater/gavin-creel-dead.html
Sick to my stomach. How utterly shocking. Really truly F cancer.
I thought this was a typo when I saw it on the internet and scrolled right by it. Truly, so sad. Ugh
Featured Actor Joined: 12/16/10
What a loss. What devastating news for his partner, friends, family.
I loved his performances in Millie, Bounce, Hair, She Loves Me, Hello Dolly and Into the Woods. And I wish I had seen him in his many other acclaimed roles.
He had the voice of an angel. He could be hilarious and poignant.
His albums are fabulous.
He was a shining light who brought so many joy. He will be missed. And he will be remembered.
One of the best and kindest to ever do it, and his presence on the stage will be missed. How absolutely devastating.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/15/11
This feels so personal. So young and vibrant and talented and kind. And gone. He was only diagnosed in July. It’s not even October. Taken way too fast.
I was so inspired by his fight for marriage equality in 2009, a time I was so conflicted about coming out myself. He was someone on stage I just loved to see and loved to hear about.
Absolutely stunned and heartbroken.
F*CK CANCER!!
Chorus Member Joined: 9/26/22
This one's tough. I just saw Gavin do a pre-tryout of Walk on Through in Chicago when he was touring with Into the Woods, and the man was insanely talented, I hope there will be more life for that piece. Also super sweet guy, I remember meeting him after Hair and he wanted to see the photos of us being taken and wanted to keep taking them till he was satifsfied. Such an insane talent that we only really saw part of what he could do, taken way to soon.
I haven’t been shaken like this in a while.
I was hoping that his amazing WALK ON THROUGH would have another life and I’d get to see him do it again because it was truly a feat of theatre to pull that off.
I will treasure everything I’ve seen him in.
I’m just heartbroken. Gavin was an incredible person and of the best actors on Broadway. I can just hardly believe we lost him in his prime, and I’m crying thinking of all the years of his life he, his loved ones, and this community won’t see. He was exceptional and beloved, and I just hope he knew it at the end.
First met Gavin at Shoshana Bean’s Halloween party in 2005 on the second floor of Therapy on 52nd street. Shoshana ended up not attending, and there were a handful of Broadway names circulating throughout the venue. The only one who bothered to talk to us civilians was Gavin. And I agree, whenever he spoke to you, you were the most important person in the room, it seemed. So incredibly kind, and generous with his time, on top of being extraordinarily talented. I always remembered the way he made me feel in that moment.
This is, I think, the most gut-punching, passing of a Broadway star that I can think of right now.
I think we all *knew* that we would be seeing and hearing his performances for years...no, decades...to come.
I'm just glad I got to see him in MILLIE, HAIR and SHE LOVES ME. Terribly sad news.
Shock and devastation. So young, with such a fruitful career in such a short time, but with the potential for so very much more.
Broadway Star Joined: 1/24/16
I’m just devastated by this. He was such an incredible talent and such an amazing person, he had so much more to give. So grateful to have seen him on stage in She Loves Me, Into the Woods, and Hello! Dolly, but wow I wish I could go back and see him a hundred times more.
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