Creel Joins and Espinosa Leaves Cast of Broadway Bound HAIR

Tony Award-nominee Gavin Creel will join the Broadway cast of HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical, in the leading role of "Claude", it was announced today by Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater. In a statement, Mr. Eustis said "We are thrilled that Gavin Creel will be joining the tribe of HAIR as Claude. We welcome him to one of the most enthusiastic, talented and beautiful casts on Broadway this spring." It was also announced today that Eden Espinosa has withdrawn from the production due to personal reasons.

Gavin Creel, who has signed on to play CLAUDE, will be participating in the HAIR TimesTalk scheduled as part of Arts & Leisure week on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. He'll be singing a song from the show as well at the event.

HAIR will begin preview performances on Friday, March 6, with Opening Night set for Tuesday, March 31, at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street, New York City).

Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel, the producing team that helped bring the Tony Award-winning musical Spring Awakening to Broadway, have joined forces with The Public Theater - as co-lead producers - to present the upcoming Broadway production. The $5.5 million production of HAIR will reunite most of the creative team of last summer‟s staging at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park: director Diane Paulus, set designer Scott Pask, costume designer Michael McDonald, sound designer Acme Sound Partners, and choreographer Karole Armitage. Kevin Adams has been signed to design the lighting for the Broadway production.

Recently cited on more than 25 10-BEST-OF-THE-YEAR THEATER lists, including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Newsday, Time Out New York, and TIME Magazine, HAIR features a book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and music by Galt MacDermot.

Tickets for HAIR are priced between $37.00 - $122.00 and are available via Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. (Patrons who have purchased tickets for performances prior to March 6th will have the opportunity to reschedule to another date and will receive a special gift from the producers of HAIR).

Gavin Creel (Claude) recently starred as Bert in The West End Production of Mary Poppins. Last seen on the New York stage in the Tony® Award winning revival of La Cage aux Folles, Creel received a Tony® nomination for his Broadway debut as Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He has appeared in the world premiere of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's Bounce (dir. Hal Prince), Bat Boy (Off-Broadway), Hair (City Center Encores!), Honk! (American Premiere), The Mystery Plays (Second Stage / Yale Rep.) and can also be seen alongside Julie Andrews as "Bill" in the television movies Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime.

Gavin has been a part of numerous recordings such as Bright Lights Big City, Thoroughly Modern Millie, It's Only Life, The Actors‟ Fund Benefit recording of Hair, Fine and Dandy, Fame, and his debut pop album, Goodtimenation, which he also co-wrote with collaborator Robbie Roth. Having performed his original music to sold out crowds all over New York City at venues such as Joe‟s Pub, Arlene‟s Grocery, The Fez, Feinstein‟s, and Irving Plaza, he is currently writing material for his second album.

Creel has appeared in many Pre-Broadway workshops and readings including Hairspray, Wicked, The Little Mermaid, and Spring Awakening, is a proud member of Actors Equity and The Broadway Inspirational Voices, and holds a BFA from the University of Michigan.

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