'Lion King' Actress Shannon Tavarez Dies at 11

By PopEater Staff Posted Nov 2nd 2010 08:47AM

Shannon Tavarez, a young soprano who starred in 'The Lion King' on Broadway, has died at age 11 after a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, Broadway World is reporting. The actress played Young Nala from September 2009 until April, when she began feeling pain in her lower back and legs. Soon, the emerging star was diagnosed and the search for a donor began.

Her story drew the attention of numerous celebrities, including Alicia Keys and Rihanna, who led campaigns to find a bone-marrow match for Tavarez.

But doctors were unable to find a match for a bone-marrow transplant, so as an alternative she received umbilical-cord blood treatment in August. Since leaving 'The Lion King,' Tavarez had undergone extensive chemotherapy and had been staying at a New York City hospital.

Tavarez got the role of Young Nala after wowing producers at her first open audition. According to Broadway World, she attended Harlem School of the Arts for vocals and piano and started singing at age 3.

In 'The Lion King,' Young Nala and Young Simba sing the bouncy song 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King.'

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Tags: Shannon Tavarez, The Lion King

Comments

(85)

Tuesday 02 November

By Alan

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So many people dying of so many deseases.
Each one a tragedy for those who loved them.
Each one mourned, leaving behind many empty hearts and lives.
Yet mankind is still obsessed with finding new ways of killing one another.
We will NEVER learn that OUR pride and greed is destroying us.

I would like to say that the earlier references to the Holy Spirit should refer to "He' or "Him", since He is a part of the living Holy Trinity. "It" should only be used with reference to inanimate objects.

Wednesday 03 November

By Sandra1698

What a beautiful voice...I am sure she is singing loud with the Angels in Heaven. I pray for her family and all the other children with this and other horrible diseases. God Bless you Shannon

By Terry

Just sad, only the good die young.

By Barbs000

My heart goes out to the family. I too have lost a child. No words can explain the pain you feel.

By kathryn v

We lost our daughter, age 26, last week on Oct 26, 2010 to AML.
She found a perfect unknown donor match and had a bone marrow transplant in June 2009. Her leukemia came back in Nov. 2009.
She enter every trial or experimental treatment she could in hopes of helping research find a way to help others who will get this awful cancer. I miss her today...it hurts so bad to lose your child. I pray for all the families who have lost a child.

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