Creel reprises his performance from the first national tour and London productions of Mormon. He has appeared on Broadway in Hair (Tony nomination), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Tony nomination) and La Cage aux Folles.
Other theatre work includes Mary Poppins (London), Bat Boy (Off-Broadway), The Mystery Plays (2nd Stage), Bounce (Goodman Theatre/Kennedy Center) and Prometheus Bound (A.R.T.).
The Jan. 26 concert, titled Make Some Noise: A Concert to Welcome Home Gavin Creel, will feature performances from Celia Keenan-Bolger (The Glass Menagerie, Peter and the Starcatcher), Caissie Levy (Les Misérables, Ghost), Andrew Rannells ("Girls," Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Susan Blackwell ([title of show]), Nick Blaemire (Godspell, Found), Catherine Brunell (Elf, Mary Poppins), Kacie Sheik (Hair) and members of the Broadway revival cast of Hair, among others. The evening will welcome Creel back to the U.S. after his award-winning performance in the West End production of Mormon by performing songs he has written, recorded or loved.
The concert is a benefit for The Performing Arts Project, a not-for-profit organization formed by a group of educators and entertainment industry professionals to help prepare the next generation of performers.
Joe's Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street. For more information, visit PerformingArtsProject.com.
| Full given name: | Gavin Lucinda Maria Hasa Diga Jem and the Holograms Creel (Gavin James Creel) |
| Where you were born/where you were raised: | Under a Harvest Moon (Flag City USA, Findlay, OH) |
| Zodiac Sign: | AQUAAAAARRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUUSSSS (Aries) |
| What your parents did/do for a living: | They worked really hard for a really long time, raising three children and holding down jobs the whole way through... and now, they travel the globe, celebrating retirement, and possess the two most active and generous spirits I know on this earth. |
| Siblings: | Heather Elise and Allyson Jo (Two Kick-Butt Trailblazers in their Professions) |
| Who were you major mentors/inspirations when first starting out? | Everyone EVERYWHERE. Mainly my teachers and my friends. I wanted to be like all of them. Oh, and Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. |
| Current audition song/monologue: | MONOLOGUE: The penultimate speech from the made-for-tv movie "Winnie," starring Meredith Baxter-Birney. SONG: The Gummi Bears theme |
| Special skills: | None |
| Something you're REALLY bad at: | Remembering my lines |
| First Broadway show you ever saw: | Show Boat |
| If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? | One that was falling (see what i did there?) |
| Current or recent show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | My favorite play of all time, You Can't Take It With You |
| Favorite showtune(s) of all time: | FOR SINGING: "Big Spender." FOR DANCING IN MY ROOM: "Big Spender."
FOR MY ICE SKATING ROUTINE: Overture from Candide |
| Some favorite modern musicals: | Anything without a driving quarter note piano chug. I love Michael John LaChiusa's Wild Party. Oh crap is that not considered modern anymore? Damn.... I'm old. |
| Some favorite classic musicals: | Three words: MOST. HAPPY. FELLA. |
| Broadway or screen stars of the past you would have most loved to perform with: | I don't know about the past, but all I can think about lately is Emily Freakin' Blunt. |
| Your personal vocal idols, living or dead: | I just saw Liz Callaway do a holiday cabaret. Can't stop thinking about her glorious singing. I'm gonna say, the Callaway! |
| The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | The gypsy run of Hairspray. So proud. So blown away. So jealous. |
| Music that makes you cry, any genre: | Simple songs |
| MAC or PC? | What's a PC? |
| Most played song on your iPod: | What's an iPod? |
| Most-visited websites: | I can't... my mother will read this. |
| Favorite Tweeters: | Justin Bieber because Will got me onto him.. "I Beleeeeeb, Will....I BEEEELEEEEEEEEB…" |
| Last book you read: | A Garfield comic strip (I wish I was kidding) |
| Must-see TV show(s): | Two words. THE. WALKING. DEAD. ....wait.... |
| Last good movie you saw: | I saw it FIVE TIMES and I now own it. "Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow." I loved it! So good!! |
| Some films you consider classics: | "Flirting With Disaster," "Clue" and "Wall-E" |
| Performer you would drop everything to go see: | It's gotta be Patti |
| Pop culture guilty pleasure: | Watching "Top Chef?" Is that pop culture? How about HGTV? |
| Three favorite cities: | San Francisco, New York, London |
| Favorite sport/team/player: | Thom Evans. Just look him up... |
| First CD/Tape/LP you owned: | CD: the single "World Clique" by DeeLite. TAPE: Debbie Gibson's "Out of the Blue." LP: something ABBA. |
| First stage kiss: | I don't remember if Harold Hill kisses Marian. He must right? Then it would be Kelli King Simpson. But professionally... I think it was Sutton. |
| Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: | Sir Sagramore in Camelot. I said two words: "And mine." |
| Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: | When I said those two words. It was a magical fragment. |
| Favorite pre-/post- show meal: | Sushi (New Yoshi delivery) or chips and guac (ARRIBA!) |
| Favorite liquid refreshment: | I'm living for green juice lately. |
| Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | Yes. Very. Many. Strict. |
| Most challenging role you have ever played: | Elder P |
| How does the Mormon experience on Broadway differ from doing it on the road and in London? | LONDON: surprising. ROAD: massive. BROADWAY: home. |
| Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | There isn't enough room.... truly. Just come see the play. I really am trying my hardest, but my brain just takes a holiday sometimes. |
| Worst costume ever: | It's a tie: cow print blazer in the last scene of Fame on tour, and this insane mash up of prints and stripes and colors and everything else in a costume from Millie that was eventually cut in previews. I will LOVE Marty P forever, but we all agreed it was an experiment that was best left on the rack. |
| Any upcoming or side projects you can talk about? | Theatre stuff is coming... but it isn't public yet. I'm really excited though  And I have a million ideas and collaborations and projects that will unfold hopefully in the coming days/months/years. |
| Leading man role you've been dying to play: | Tie between Harold Hill and Stine |
| Leading lady role you wish you could play: | Sally Bowles |
| Something about you that surprises people: | I have almost quit this profession many times. |
| Something you are incredibly proud of: | The work that Broadway Impact has done and continues to do, and being a part of The Broadway Inspirational Voices Choir. |
| Something you're embarrassed to admit: | I love him and have stood by him, but... I wanna kill my dog almost daily. Dark, I know... but just spend a day with him. You'll see. |
| Career you would want if not a performer: | Honest to God... I have NO idea. |
| Three things you can't live without: | My friends. Great Food. Masturbation. |
| "I'll never understand why…" | … I actually just answered "masturbation" in a question that will be online forever and ever. |
| Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Wake up and do what you REALLY want to do that day. And then repeat it the next day. And then... be okay, if the next day, it all changes. Be gentle with yourself, but follow your joy with an insane abandon. |
