A beloved star of the theater stage passed away this week and his fans and friends in the Broadway community are now in mourning.

Tony Award-winning actor Gavin Creel died on Monday at the age of 48 following a brief bout with a rare form of cancer, according to Us Weekly.

The outlet noted that Rosie O'Donnell was one of many of Creel's celebrity colleagues who were shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of their friend.

Rare form of cancer

Us Weekly reported that it was announced in July that Creel had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer known as metastatic melanotic peripheral nerve sheath sarcoma, a type of cancerous tumor that begins in the fibrous lining of the spinal cord and spreads throughout the body via peripheral nerves.

Per the Mayo Clinic, peripheral nerve sheath tumors tend to be aggressive and get worse quickly, and symptoms include lumps in the area of the tumor marked by localized pain and weakness.

Creel's death just a couple of months after he was diagnosed with the malignancy was confirmed to theater-focused media outlet Playbill by his partner Alex Temple Ward.

He had initially received treatment for the disease at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center following the diagnosis but was later transferred to home hospice care.

Mourned by his friends

According to Us Weekly, many of Creel's friends and colleagues in the Broadway community offered tributes and condolences to the actor, social activist, and singer, including Rosie O'Donnell, who wrote in an Instagram post, "Heartbreaking -- what an amazingly talented loving fun man -- all of Broadway will miss him."

Award-winning "Hamilton" star Lin-Manuel Miranda said of Creel, "He is so loved and it is unimaginable that he’s no longer with us. My heart goes out to all the friends and family and collaborators lucky enough to be in his orbit. We love you and we’ll always love you Gavin."

Many others spoke out about what a kind and generous man Creel had been and how devoted he was to causes like marriage equality and other LGBTQ issues.

A talented actor, singer, and songwriter

Playbill noted that the multi-talented and versatile Creel was born in Ohio in 1976 and began acting and singing in elementary school before obtaining a bachelor's degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in 1998.

He would go on to star in numerous theatrical productions and was nominated for a Tony Award for his performances in "Thoroughly Modern Millie," his debut show, and "Hair," and won the Best Featured Actor Tony Award for his role in "Hello Dolly!"

In addition to the stage, Creel was also a star on the small screen with roles in TV movies like "Eloise at the Plaza," "Eloise at Christmastime," "She Loves Me," and the TV series "American Horror Stories," according to his IMDb page.

Playbill also highlighted how he was a songwriter who released two full albums, an EP, and singles that charted on Billboard.