Tony winner Gavin Creel died aged 48 on Monday amid treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer, his partner Alex Temple Ward confirmed. The Broadway star briefly battled metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma after being diagnosed back in July. He was being treated at New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before transitioning to hospice care at home.

Broadway community ‘shattered’ by Gavin Creel’s death at 48

The news about Creel’s death left his fans and fellow Broadway stars devastated. He was best known for his performances in productions like Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hair, She Loves Me and Hello, Dolly! during a stage career that spanned 20 years. Josh Gad, who voiced Olaf in the Frozen franchise, mourned Creel’s death in an emotional social media post.

“Sometimes, I don’t have the right words to describe my sadness. Today is one of those days. We have lost someone far too young, far too early still in his journey and far too impactful to our creative community. My heart breaks for his family and his closest friends. This is just not fair. We will never forget you,” he wrote on Instagram.

Grammy-winner Andrew Rannells echoed similar sentiments as he wrote on Instagram, “I fell in love with Gavin Creel in 1998 the moment I met him. I was certainly not alone in my instant affection for him. Everyone fell in love with Gavin.” “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.”

Ben Platt, the son of American film producer Marc Platt, wrote on his Instagram stories, “There are no words to describe this loss. Gavin was my first role model, idol and hero.” “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,” he added.