"It hosted an event called "Casting the Role of a Lifeline" to find bone marrow matches for those with blood cancers. It's a cause that hits especially close to home for the cast of "The Lion King," who lost one of their own 15 years ago, Shannon Tavarez. Tavarez could sing. She could dance. And she landed a dream role as young Nala in "The Lion King" at 10 years old."
""She was super vibrant, full of life. She really was somebody who embodied the themes of our show," said L. Steven Taylor who plays Mufasa in "The Lion King." "She was a pleasure to have and then to have her go through what she went through and still be that person, full of life, full of passion, and uniting people all the way to the end really speaks to who she is.""
The Museum of Broadway hosted "Casting the Role of a Lifeline" to find bone marrow matches for people with blood cancers. The initiative particularly affected the cast of The Lion King, who lost Shannon Tavarez 15 years earlier. Tavarez, discovered talented by age five, played young Nala at age ten. She was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and required a bone marrow match for cure. African American donor registration was very low, about 6%, yielding roughly a 29% chance of a 100% match. The Broadway community mobilized to find donors, but Tavarez died in 2010 at age eleven. Drives continue every few years.
Read at ABC7 New York
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