Creel’s first major Broadway role was as Jimmy Smith, opposite fellow newcomer Sutton Foster, in a revival of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002, which landed him his first Tony nomination for best leading actor in a musical.
“My sweet friend. I will love you forever,” Foster said in a post on Instagram., external
Creel also played Claude Hooper Bukowski in the 2009 revival of Hair on Broadway.
He made his West End debut in 2006 as Bert in Mary Poppins and reprised his role in the West End transfer of Hair in 2010.
Other roles included Dr Pomatter in Sara Bareilles’ musical Waitress on Broadway in 2019, a role he took to the West End a year later.
Creel’s TV career included a two-episode stint in Ryan Murphy’s miniseries American Horror Stories, opposite Matt Bomer in 2021.
He also appeared opposite Dame Julie Andrews in TV movies Eloise At The Plaza and Eloise At Christmastime in the early 2000s.
The star also co-founded Broadway Impact, a grassroots organisation aimed at mobilising the theatre community to support marriage equality.
He was born in Findlay, Ohio and was a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music.
Creel’s publicist said there will be a small private gathering for the family and a celebration of his life will be held for the theatre community at a date yet to be announced.
