Giving New Meaning to 'You Matter to Me,' Tony Winner Gavin Creel Sings Out from Seclusion

Tony Winner Gavin Creel's extended run as Dr. Pomatter in the West End production of Waitress was cut short when he, along with longtime friend, Waitress composer Sara Bareilles, exited the show amid the COVID-19 crisis. Originally scheduled to play an obstetrician caught in the middle of a moral dilemma through March 21, Creel brought his talents to the one-night-only return of The Rosie O’Donnell Show benefiting The Actor's Fund and spoke out about his own health.

"I'm not sure if this appropriate or not, but I wanted to tell you that I'm pretty sure I have the virus," Creel said to host O'Donnell. "I haven't been officially tested, but I was doing Waitress in London and a bunch of our castmates have fallen sick from it." Wanting to bring some clarity to possible symptoms, Creel explained what he's currently going through: "It's like a cruddy flu for me. I've been lucky to not have any breathing difficulties or respiratory issues, but I have the fever, the headaches. I lost my sense of smell and taste—haven't gotten those back. I'm eating aspargus right now, but it might as well be rubber."

After quickly assuring O'Donnell and all the viewers at home that he's staying safe and secluded in cabin north of New York City, Creel played the piano and introduced his performance of "You Matter to Me" saying, "I'll just give you a little bit of what I was doing in London. This is my favorite song Sara [Bareilles] has written from Waitress." Watch the full video below and donate to The Actor's Fund here.