Cynthia Erivo Comforts Sara Bareilles During Emotional Tony’s Tribute to Friend Gavin Creel

The pair took the stage together to perform the song “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie as part of their tribute, as photos and names of actors, directors, producers, and crew lost over the past year in the theater community were shown in the background.

At the end of the performance, they both looked over at the screen, as Gavin Creel — a close friend of Bareilles — was shown as the final frame of the tribute.

Holding hands, Bareilles then broke down into tears, before the Wicked star — who also hosted the event — was seen pulling her into a comforting hug.

She patted Bareilles on the back, as the singer then turned back to face the audience, clearly emotional.

Creel, a Grammy and Tony Award-winning actor, died September 30, 2024 at 48 after a battle with a rare form of cancer, metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma. At the time of his death, theaters from New York City, Toronto, and London, paid tribute to Creel by dimming their lights to honor him.

Bareilles and Creel both starred in the Broadway musical Waitress. The “Brave” singer also wrote the music and lyrics for the show, and, at one point, played the role of Jenna. Creel, meanwhile, played the role of Dr. Pomatter on both Broadway and the West End.

Most recently, Bareilles helped create The Gavin Creel Fellowship in his honor, which hopes to celebrate his legacy and support emerging theater actors.

Other figures included in the Memoriam segment included George Wendt, James Earl Jones, Tony Roberts, Maggie Smith, Mitzi Gaynor, Quincy Jones, Charles Strouse, Richard Chamberlain, and more.