Broadway Community 'Shattered' by Death of Gavin Creel at 48: 'We Have Lost Someone Far Too Young'

"Sometimes, I don’t have the right words to describe my sadness. Today is one of those days," Josh Gad wrote

The theater community is mourning the death of Tony winner Gavin Creel.

Creel's partner Alex Temple Ward confirmed that Creel died on Monday, Sept. 30 at the age of 48 amid treatment for a rare and aggressive form of sarcoma. The news came as a shock to his fans and Broadway collaborators, who knew the actor, songwriter and singer from his performances in productions like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hair, She Loves Me and Hello, Dolly! over a 20 years-long stage career.

Creel was only diagnosed in July 2024 and was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City before transitioning to hospice care at home.

"Sometimes, I don’t have the right words to describe my sadness. Today is one of those days," Josh Gad wrote on Instagram as he shared a photo of Creel. Creel replaced Andrew Rannells in The Book of Mormon after Rannells, 46, left the production following its original run in 2011.

"We have lost someone far too young, far too early still in his journey and far too impactful to our creative community," Gad, 43, added. "My heart breaks for his family and his closest friends. This is just not fair. We will never forget you."

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Rannells, 46, took to Instagram to share a number of photos of himself and Creel. "I fell in love with Gavin Creel in 1998 the moment I met him," he wrote in a caption. "I was certainly not alone in my instant affection for him. Everyone fell in love with Gavin."

"Our friendship grew and changed and was challenged and became stronger over the decades. We were living big, exciting lives at times but the moments we were happiest, the moments we were most ourselves, were the quiet ones," he wrote. "We called each other “Soulmate” or “Soulie” for short. It was a joke that became a nickname that, in some ways, became a truth that made us both smile when we said it. My heart feels incredibly empty today. I know I’m not alone in this feeling because again, everyone fell in love with Gavin."

"There are no words to describe this loss. Gavin was my first role model, idol and hero," Ben Platt wrote in his Instagram Stories on Monday. "He showed me around backstage after I saw my first Broadway show. I couldn't believe someone that supernaturally talented could also be every single person in the building's favorite human being. I wanted to sing just like him and be just like him."

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Lin-Manuel Miranda shared a photo of Creel singing with Joshua Henry, Brian D'Arcy James, Phillipa Soo and Sara Bareilles to Instagram and wrote that he was "shattered" by the news of Creel's death.

"Gavin Creel was our first King when all we had was 11 songs and he wrapped the audience around his finger with nothing but a Burger King crown and his mind-blowing charisma and talent," Miranda, 44, wrote in a caption. "He is so loved and it is unimaginable that he’s no longer with us. My heart goes out to all the friends and family and collaborators lucky enough to be in his orbit. We love you and we’ll always love you Gavin."

"I looked forward to working with him every single night. He was fantastic," Bette Midler wrote of Creel in a short statement shared on X. "I can’t believe he’s gone. What a loss."

The Greatest Showman songwriter Benj Pasek shared "the last text" that Creel sent him, which read: "also so proud of you for LIVING. not living is the one thing i have learned so far during this time that is NO LONGER AN OPTION. EVER AGAIN. live. if you are alive LIVE."

"I don’t have the words so I’ll let Gavin’s speak for themselves," Pasek said in his Instagram caption.

"Oh dear Gavin. A sweet man. Hilarious and kind," Colman Domingo wrote in part on Instagram, as he shared a photo of himself, Creel and two others in ballet poses. "We will all miss him. He made Broadway so very bright. My heart aches for everyone who loved him."

"Give him a standing ovation and throw roses," Domingo, 54, finished in that caption. "He did well. 🌹"

Creel booked his first role in the touring production of Fame: The Musical after graduating from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance, Creel and working at regional repertory theater Pittsburgh CLO.

The actor worked primarily off-Broadway until he debuted in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002 opposite Sutton Foster, for which he earned his first Tony Awardnomination. He was also nominated in 2009 for portraying Claude in the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair. He ultimately won the award in 2017 for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in a revival of Hello, Dolly! with Midler and David Hyde Pierce.

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