Day: May 12, 2018

Monarch butterflies tagged at Pearl arrive in Mexico

monarchbutterflyrelease
The release of Monarch butterflies at last year’s Monarch Butterfly Festival.  Photo: Matt Buikema, used with permission.

This past October, the Pearl hosted the second annual Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival called ‘Butterflies without Borders.’ A few thousand San Antonians gathered at Pearl Park to witness several hundred butterflies as they were released from a custom-made Mariposa Pyramid. The mission of the festival is to raise awareness and appreciation of the insect pollinators that make one of every three bites of the food we eat possible. (Monarch Butterfly Festival, 2018)

Pearl has historically remained one of many pit stops for Monarch butterflies on their migration path and visitors will often see them when at the campus. The Pearl is excited to lend a hand in helping the butterflies on their journey to landing safely in Mexico.

Recent updates indicate that five monarch butterflies tagged at the San Antonio property in October during the 2017 Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival have made it to Mexico safe and sound, marking a successful migration.  According to Texas Butterfly Ranch, these five tags that occurred at Pearl constitute 0.54% of the total 928 tags recovered and reported back to Monarch Watch–an exceptional number, given that an estimated 80,000 butterflies in total were tagged this season.

‘The Bridges of Madison County’ at The Public Theater of San Antonio

bridgesofmadisoncounty.jpg
‘The Bridges of Madison County’ is now playing at The Public Theater of San Antonio.  Photo:  Siggi Ragnar, used with permission.

Now playing in the Russell Hill Rogers Theater at The Public Theater of San Antonio is ‘The Bridges of Madison County.’ It opened on Friday May 11 and will run until Sunday June 3. This musical is based on Jason Robert Brown’s 1992 novel of the same name with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m. Tickets are available online or at the box office at (210) 733-7258 and are $35 for adults, $25 for military members with ID, $25 for seniors age 60 and older and $20 for students with ID. Groups of ten or more receive a special rate. (The Public Theater of San Antonio, 2018)

‘The Bridges of Madison County’ is set in Iowa in 1965 and tells the story of Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride who has led a quiet and unfulfilling farm life. When her husband and two children leave on a three-day trip to Indianapolis, she meets and has an affair with Robert, a photographer for the National Geographic, who is in town to photograph the famous covered bridges of Madison County. This show captures the lyrical expanse of America’s heartland and is the winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score and Orchestrations. The themes include the roads people travel, the doors they open and the bridges they dare to cross. It stars Mary Morrow as Francesca, Nick Szoeke as Robert Kincaid, Robby Vance as Bud, Ramsay Sweatmon as Michael and Campbell Wilford as Carolyn. J. Scott Lapp is the director, Darrin Newhardt the music director and Courtnie Mercer the choreographer.

The Public Theater of San Antonio
800 West Ashby Place
San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 733-7258