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Footage of the event, which was held at New York\u2019s Richard Rodgers Theatre, shows the actor \u2015 who went public with his colorectal cancer diagnosis<\/a> last year \u2015 thanking attendees for their support while expressing regrets for his absence. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI have been looking forward to this night for months and months ever since my angel Michelle Williams<\/a> said she was putting it together. I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m not there,\u201d he said. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I don\u2019t get to see my cast mates, my beautiful cast in person.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI want to stand on that stage and thank every single person in the theater for being here tonight,\u201d he continued. \u201cFrom the cast to the crew to everybody who\u2019s doing anything and has been so generous, and especially every single last one of you \u2014 you are the best fans in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Watch an \u201cEntertainment Tonight\u201d report on James Van Der Beek\u2019s appearance below. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Van Der Beek went on to introduce Lin-Manuel Miranda<\/a>, who had stepped in as his last-minute replacement for the event. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOn \u2018Dawson\u2019s Creek,\u2019 I had no understudy, but this is Broadway, and I needed one. So we figured we\u2019d try to find somebody who had never understudied in this theater before,\u201d he quipped, alluding to Miranda\u2019s performance in the smash musical \u201cHamilton<\/a>,\u201d which has been playing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre since 2015. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plans for a \u201cDawson\u2019s Creek\u201d reunion were first confirmed<\/a> last month. The event featured a live table reading of the teen drama series\u2019 pilot episode, and was to mark Van Der Beek\u2019s first public appearance with co-stars Katie Holmes<\/a>, Joshua Jackson<\/a> and Williams since the show wrapped its six-season run in 2003. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n