Broadway Star of Hair, Hello Dolly, More was 48

Gavin Creel, a Tony Award-winning Broadway star whose credits include “Hair,” “Hello, Dolly” and “Into the Woods,” died Monday at his home in Manhattan of metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma his publicist confirmed to the newspaper New York Times. He was 48.

A 20-year Broadway veteran, Creel won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2017 for “Hello, Dolly.” He was previously nominated in 2009 for “Hair” and in 2002 for “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” He also won a Grammy in 2023 for Best Musical Theater Album for the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's “Into the Woods.”

He won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2014 for his portrayal of Elder Price in The Book of Mormon in the West End. Between 2012 and 2016, he appeared in the cast of the US national tour, appearing in the West End and acting as a Broadway replacement for the irreverent musical comedy.

Creel made his Broadway debut and received his first Tony nomination in the original 2002 musical Thoroughly Modern Millie opposite Sutton Foster. After joining the original Chicago cast of Sondheim's “Road Show,” he returned to Broadway in the 2004 revival of “La Cage aux Folles.” In 2006 he made his West End debut in Mary Poppins as Bert.

He received his second Tony nomination in 2009 as Claude Hooper Bukowski in the “Hair” revival and moved to the West End after the Broadway run. After appearing on The Book of Mormon, he starred in the 2016 Broadway revival of She Loves Me with Jane Krakowski. The production was the first Broadway show ever to be livestreamed.

Finally, in 2017, Creel won the Tony for his role as Cornelius Hackl in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly starring Bette Midler. He then played Dr. Pomatter in “Waitress” by Sara Bareilles on Broadway and in the West End. His most recent Broadway role was in the 2022 revival of “Into the Woods” as the Wolf and Cinderella's Prince, and he also appeared in the off-Broadway show “Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice.”

Creel made his television debut in 2003 in “Eloise at the Plaza” and appeared in the sequel “Eloise at Christmastime.” He also appeared in episodes of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. “American Horror Stories” and more.