Gavin Creel

Gavin James Creel (April 18, 1976 – September 30, 2024) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter born in Findlay, Ohio. He attended Findlay High School, graduating in 1994, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in 1998. Over the course of his career, Creel accumulated a Tony Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Grammy Award.

Creel began his professional stage work as part of the resident cast at Pittsburgh CLO during the 1997 and 1998 seasons, appearing in productions including Kiss Me Kate, La Cage aux Folles, and On the Town, primarily in ensemble roles. After completing his degree, he joined the opening cast of the 1998 national tour of Fame, playing Nick Piazza in cities including Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. He subsequently continued in regional theater before relocating to New York City in the early 2000s. In 2001, he served as a swing in the original Off-Broadway production of Bat Boy: The Musical and participated in a workshop of Spring Awakening that same year.

Creel made his Broadway debut in 2002, originating the role of Jimmy Smith opposite Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie. The performance earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. Following his departure from that production in April 2003, he appeared in the original Chicago production of Stephen Sondheim's Road Show, then titled Bounce, and recorded the original cast album for Bright Lights, Big City, among other projects. His screen acting debut came in 2003 with the film Eloise at the Plaza, in which he played Bill, a role he reprised in the Christmas-themed sequel Eloise at Christmastime. In February 2003, he also participated in a workshop for Disney's stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid, playing Prince Eric.

He returned to Broadway in 2004 in the revival of La Cage aux Folles, playing Jean-Michel throughout the run. Two years later, Creel made his West End debut in Mary Poppins, stepping into the role of Bert as a replacement. Also in 2006, he released his debut studio album, Goodtimenation. A planned 2008 Broadway revival of Godspell, in which Creel was set to star as Jesus alongside Joshua Henry and Diana DeGarmo at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, was postponed indefinitely in August of that year following the loss of an investor.

Creel returned to Broadway in 2009 in the revival of Hair, starring as Claude. The role brought him his second Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. The production subsequently transferred to the West End, where Creel and the cast performed through 2010. He followed that engagement with the world premiere of Prometheus Bound at the American Repertory Theater.

Beginning in 2012, Creel starred in multiple productions of The Book of Mormon over a three-year period. He first played Elder Price in the First National Tour, then originated the role in the musical's West End production, for which he received the Best Actor in a Musical prize at the 2014 Laurence Olivier Awards. He returned to the touring production for a period before joining the Broadway cast in 2015. In 2016, Creel played the suave salesman Steven Kodaly opposite Jane Krakowski in the Broadway revival of She Loves Me, a production that became the first Broadway show ever to be live-streamed and was later featured in the PBS series Great Performances.

In 2017, Creel began playing Cornelius Hackl in the Broadway revival of Hello, Dolly!, a production that starred Bette Midler and David Hyde Pierce before later featuring Bernadette Peters and Victor Garber. While recovering from back surgery, he was temporarily replaced by Santino Fontana from March to May 2018. His performance as Hackl earned him the 2017 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical as well as the 2017 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 2019, Creel took on the role of Dr. Pomatter in the Broadway production of Waitress, starring alongside the show's composer Sara Bareilles. He reprised the role in the West End production of Waitress in 2020, again opposite Bareilles.

In 2021, Creel appeared in two episodes of American Horror Stories on FX on Hulu, opposite Matt Bomer and Sierra McCormick, and was featured in a PBS concert celebrating the musical Wicked, hosted by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel. In May 2022, he appeared as The Wolf and Cinderella's Prince in the New York City Center Encores! production of Into the Woods, which transferred to Broadway in June of that year. The Broadway cast included Sara Bareilles, Andy Karl, Joshua Henry, Phillipa Soo, Brian d'Arcy James, Patina Miller, Stephanie J. Block, and Joaquina Kalukango, among others. The production closed January 8, 2023. Creel reprised his roles in the 2023 national tour of Into the Woods opposite several castmates from the Broadway run, including Montego Glover, Block, and Karl.

Creel first performed material from his self-written musical Walk on Through: Confessions of a Museum Novice at Elsie Fest in 2019, debuting the song "The Only One." In 2021, he presented two performances of a self-described concert-cal version of the piece, for which he had been commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to write and perform the book, music, and lyrics. Industry readings were held at Pershing Square Signature Theatre Center in December 2022, and the show had its world premiere Off-Broadway in November 2023.