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Tony-winning Broadway star was 48

Tony-winning Broadway star was 48

Vaseline 4 days ago

Gavin Creel, a Tony-winning theater actor known for his work in shows like “Hello, Dolly!” and “Hair” passed away. He was 48.

Creel died Monday at his home in New York from metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a form of cancer, a rep for the actor confirmed to USA TODAY. He was diagnosed in July and was treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering before entering hospice care at home.

Creel won the 2017 Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in “Hello, Dolly!” He received his first Tony nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical in 2002, playing the role of Jimmy Smith in that year’s Best Musical winner, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The role was his Broadway debut, although he has appeared in stage productions since the late 1990s.

The actor earned another Tony nomination in 2009 for his performance as Claude in “Hair,” which won best revival of a musical.

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Born in Findlay, Ohio, Creel graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. His other theater roles included Dr. Pomatter in ‘Waitress’, Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf in ‘Into the Woods’ and Elder Price in ‘The Book of Mormon’. This last performance earned him the Laurence Olivier Award for best actor in a musical in 2014.

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Creel also starred in “American Horror Stories” and provided voice work for the animated shows “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure” and “Central Park.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Josh Gad pay tribute to Gavin Creel

‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda paid tribute to Creel on Instagram, remembering the actor for his “stunning charisma and talent.”

“He is so loved and it is unimaginable that he is no longer with us,” Miranda wrote. “My heart goes out to all the friends, family and co-workers who are fortunate enough to be around him. We love you and we will always love you, Gavin.”

“The Book of Mormon” star Josh Gad also honored the actor, writing that “we lost someone far too young, far too early in their journey and far too impactful for our creative community.” He added: “My heart breaks for his family and his closest friends. This is just not fair.”

Casey Likes, star of Broadway’s “Back to the Future: The Musical,” said in an Instagram Story that he was “so incredibly heartbroken” by the news. Recalling that Creel gave him words of advice that “kept me going and inspired,” he wrote, “The man is one of the most inspiring, kind-hearted, skilled and incredible people this industry has EVER seen.”

What is sarcoma?

A representative for Creel confirmed that the actor died of a “rare and aggressive form of sarcoma.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a sarcoma is a type of cancer tumor that “develops in bone and connective tissue, such as fat, muscle, blood vessels, nerves, and the tissue surrounding bones and joints.” Sarcomas are rare, the clinic notes, accounting for about 1% of cancer diagnoses in adults.