Gavin Creel remembers his Broadway co-stars

Gavin Creel's untimely death at the age of 48 shocked not only the entire theater world, but also his closest co-stars and famous friends.

The Tony-winning actor's death from metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma was confirmed Monday by his partner Alex Temple Ward, just months after Creel was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive cancer in July.

Since Creel's Broadway debut in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002, he has appeared in La Cage aux Folles, Hair, The Book of Mormon, Hello, Dolly!, She Loves Me, Waitress. and “Into the Woods,” among other professional ventures. Following the news of his death, his co-stars were quick to pay tribute to the late actor, calling him one of their most beloved colleagues on and off stage.

Sutton Foster starred alongside Creel in Millie and shared a picture of the pair on Instagram with the caption: “My sweet boyfriend. I will love you forever.”

Her co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph shared some special memories in her post, writing, “My heart breaks to hear the news about Gavin Creel. I'm in shock. Gavin was such a beautiful soul and vibrant spirit, both on and off stage. I will always remember our time together when he played my “son” in Thoroughly Modern Millie, where we laughed so much and shared so many moments together.”

“I'll never forget those days when we had matinees where Gavin invited (Etienne Maurice) and (Ivy Coco Maurice) to lunch at Virgil's in Times Square. “He was so funny, so kind and always made everyone around him feel special,” she continued. “Gavin, you were truly one of a kind. Health. I'll miss you. I send all my love to the Creel family during this time.”

Bette Middler, who starred in the 2017 “Hello, Dolly!” revival with Creel – which won him his Tony Award – wrote: “Beloved by the Broadway community, the radiant actor Gavin Creel has died of a rare form of cancer. He played Cornelius Hackl for my Dolly in “Hello Dolly” and I looked forward to working with him every evening. He was fantastic. I can't believe he's gone. What a loss.”

Another “Dolly!” Creel co-star, Beanie Feldstein, shared an emotional message: “Gavin is the person who, after the hardest day of rehearsal, grabs your hand and says, 'I'm taking you home.' Gavin is the person who always picks up the phone, lights up the room and brings people together. How lucky we all are to love him so much. Now we must move forward as he taught us. But damn, I don't know how. I love you, my Gav.”

Creel was also known off stage for both “Eloise” films. His co-star Sofia Vassilieva, who played the title role, shared a short but sweet message in his honor: “As quickly as the heart bursts, it breaks.”

Fellow artists such as Josh Gad, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hannah Waddingham, Idina Menzel, Ben Platt and Cynthia Erivo, to name just a few, also fondly remembered the late actor.

Creel is survived by Ward, dog Nina, parents Nancy Clemens Creel and James William Creel, older sisters Heather Creel, Allyson Creel and her partner Jennifer Kolb. If the family wishes, gifts in his memory may be made to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.