Shannon Tavarez
Encyclopedia
Shannon Skye Tavarez was an American child actress
. She appeared in the Broadway theatre
production of The Lion King
by Walt Disney Theatrical
, where she played the role of
the young lion cub Nala.
, New York City, and attended P.S. 176. She was chosen to play the role of Nala after a cattle call audition in 2008 at the Apollo Theater
. She became one of two girls who split the role, with each girl performing four shows weekly. Several months after debuting in the show in September 2009, she was forced to leave the production after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia
. The daughter of an African American
mother and a Dominican
father, Tavarez faced much greater difficulty in attempts to find a match for a bone marrow transplant as minorities are significantly underrepresented in donor registries, despite efforts by such performers as Alicia Keys
, Rihanna
and 50 Cent
to recruit prospective donors from among their fans. Unsuccessful in finding a bone marrow donor, Tavarez underwent an umbilical cord blood transplant in August 2010.
in New Hyde Park, New York
, due to acute myeloid leukemia
. The lights at the Minskoff Theatre
, where The Lion King was playing, were dimmed the night she died. In a statement released following her daughter's death, Odiney Brown said that "Shannon's dream was to perform on stage, and that she did."
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
. She appeared in the Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of The Lion King
The Lion King (musical)
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well...
by Walt Disney Theatrical
Walt Disney Theatrical
Disney Theatrical Group, also known as Disney Theatrical Productions, is the stageplay and musical production arm of The Walt Disney Company...
, where she played the role of
the young lion cub Nala.
Biography
Tavarez was a resident of Bellerose, QueensBellerose, Queens
Bellerose, also called Bellerose Manor, is a neighborhood on the eastern edge of the New York City borough of Queens, near the border with Nassau County. It is sometimes referred to as Bellerose Manor, to distinguish it from the adjacent Bellerose Village and Bellerose Terrace in Nassau County,...
, New York City, and attended P.S. 176. She was chosen to play the role of Nala after a cattle call audition in 2008 at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
. She became one of two girls who split the role, with each girl performing four shows weekly. Several months after debuting in the show in September 2009, she was forced to leave the production after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. The daughter of an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
mother and a Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
father, Tavarez faced much greater difficulty in attempts to find a match for a bone marrow transplant as minorities are significantly underrepresented in donor registries, despite efforts by such performers as Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
and 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
to recruit prospective donors from among their fans. Unsuccessful in finding a bone marrow donor, Tavarez underwent an umbilical cord blood transplant in August 2010.
Death
On November 1, 2010, Tavarez died at the age of 11 at Long Island Jewish Medical CenterLong Island Jewish Medical Center
Long Island Jewish Medical Center shares the title of clinical and academic hub of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. It is an 827-bed voluntary, non-profit tertiary care teaching hospital serving the greater New York metropolitan area. The campus is east of Manhattan, on the border of Queens...
in New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park, New York
New Hyde Park is a village in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island.The population of the Village of New Hyde Park was 9,712 at the 2010 census...
, due to acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia
Acute myeloid leukemia , also known as acute myelogenous leukemia, is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that accumulate in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. AML is the most common acute...
. The lights at the Minskoff Theatre
Minskoff Theatre
The Minskoff Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre, located at 1515 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan. It is now showing the musical The Lion King, based on the Disney animated film of the same name....
, where The Lion King was playing, were dimmed the night she died. In a statement released following her daughter's death, Odiney Brown said that "Shannon's dream was to perform on stage, and that she did."
External links
- Foundation in Shannon Tavarez's memory
- http://www.cbsnews.com/8300-504763_162-10391704.html?keyword=Shannon+Tavarez
- Match Shannon
- Shannon Tavarez, Nala in ‘Lion King’, Dies at 11
- Shannon Tavarez Obituary
- Young 'Lion King' star Shannon Tavarez recalled as 'selfless' day after death
- Shannon Tavarez Lovingly Remembered at Funeral
- Funeral for 'Lion King' Star Who Died of Leukemia
- Rihanna Mourns Shannon Tavarez