Broadway Serves, DKMS, Entertainment Community Fund, the Broadway company of The Lion King, The Museum of Broadway, and Shannon’s S.H.A.R.E. are all joining forces to demystify bone marrow donations January 28 at The Museum of Broadway.

The event, titled Casting: Role of a Lifeline, will begin at 11 AM and continue to 2:30 PM. Open to the general public, the information fair seeks to increase understanding of the bone marrow donation process and encourage members of the theatre community to register as potential donors, who may then be matched with patients in need, taking on a literal “role of a lifeline.” 

Casting: Role of a Lifeline will begin with remarks from L. Steven Taylor, who has played the role of Mufasa in The Lion King for over 20 years. Taylor worked with Shannon Skye Tavarez, the late child actor whose struggle to find a matching donor highlighted the lack of people of color registered in the national bone marrow registry and inspired the founding of Shannon’s S.H.A.R.E. 

“Cancer has impacted almost everyone in some way, most recently for me with the loss of my uncle a few months ago,” said Taylor in a statement. “Events like Casting: Role of a Lifeline will hopefully inspire all of us to get early and regular cancer screenings and provide an opportunity to become lifelines for vulnerable community members. I’m excited to help continue to honor Shannon’s legacy through this event!” 

Chondra Profit, a former cast member of The Lion King who also appeared with Tavarez and later had the opportunity to be a bone marrow donor herself, will also share her story. DKMS, the nonprofit bone marrow donor organization, will supply registration kits and educational materials.

“At Broadway Serves, we endeavor to cultivate a community of people who want to give back, and we do our best to answer the call when we are invited to collaborate on a passion project for a worthy cause,” added Broadway Serves Co-Founder Kimberly Marable. “Cancer is something that touches many of our lives, and we hope that with this event, people are inspired to learn more about bone marrow donation, and how they can be a lifeline.”

“My mom has a rare form of leukemia and received a stem cell transplant from an unrelated donor, an experience that profoundly shaped my life,” stated Kyle Christopher, associate general manager at RCI Theatricals, who initiated the drive. “Working in the Broadway community for many years, I know how passionate this industry is about helping their own, and I wanted to create an opportunity for that generosity to directly save lives.”

The Museum of Broadway is located at 145 West 45th Street.