Tampa, Fl.… On Thursday, May 27th, company members from the North American touring production of MARY POPPINS, currently performing at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center) through Sunday, June 6, 2010, will visit Big Cat Rescue, the largest accredited sanctuary in the United States dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of exotic cats. 

The MARY POPPINS North American tour celebrated its first anniversary on March 25, 2010 and announced that it had achieved the milestone of being the most successful touring theatrical event in 2009.   

Big Cat Rescue, a non-profit educational sanctuary, is devoted to rescuing and providing a permanent home for exotic (i.e. wild, not domestic) cats who have been abused, abandoned, bred to be pets, retired from performing acts, or saved from being slaughtered for fur coats. The sanctuary’s mission includes educating the public about these animals and the issues facing them in captivity and in the wild.  

“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner together with the cast of Mary Poppins” said Jeff Kremer, Director of Donor Appreciation with the nonprofit sanctuary.   

The company of Mary Poppins will arrive at Big Cat Rescue at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 27th , for a private tour of the sanctuary, where “A Spoon Full of Catnip Helps the Medicine Go Down!” 
 
Big Cat Rescue is a 501(c)(3) not-profit charity. The sanctuary receives no government support and relies on its educational activities, such as tours of the facility, and the generosity of donors such as the cast and crew of Mary Poppins to support the magnificent animals that call the sanctuary home. 

Following their visit to the sanctuary, these energetic folks will head back to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts to take the stage in what will likely be a most inspired performance.  

 
For more information visit: www.strazcenter.org. and www.BigCatRescue.org

Posted byBigCatRescueat6:23 PM

For three hours Big Cat Rescuers got to hear about his adventures in India and get a first hand view of the magnificence and intelligence of cats living wild as well as all of the challenges they face because of the value of their skin, bones and organs.  He shared stories of intrigue and suspense as poachers were stalked, captured and often right back on the street within hours.  He brought the suffering of these cats to life in painting the struggle for survival that is shared by the big cats and the humans with whom they share dwindling resources.  He separated the good from the bad and the corrupt from the dedicated in his captivating portraits of the politicians, law enforcement officials and conservation NGOs. 

Anthony ended the night’s discussion with the topic that is the fuel behind his cross country trek;  global warming.  Despite being a physicist he plainly set out in laymen’s terms how it is that we are on the brink of disaster while the man on the street is still saying, “what global warming?”  If you missed it tonight, you missed the simple analogy to a pot full of water and ice cubes, but you can be the interns who were there can explain it to you now.  Or, you can read about it in Anthony Marr’s latest books “Omni-Science and the Human Destiny” and “Homo Sapiens! SAVE YOUR EARTH”.  The most critical message that he brought to our awareness is that scientist now agree that the models they had currently predicted which gave Earthlings until 2040 to begin reversing the negative spiral we are on because of methane produced via the mass production of animals as food and our failure to implement green energy has now been shorted to the year 2013.  To see the NASA report bearing this out visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7139797.stm

To learn more about Anthony Marr and to help sponsor him on this CARE 7 tour visit:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AnthonyMarr

http://www.homosapienssaveyourearth.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/AnthonyMarr

Anthony Marr bio:

Anthony Marr has a science degree and is the author of “Omni-Science and the Human Destiny” and “Homo Sapiens! SAVE YOUR EARTH”. A wildlife preservationist since 1995, he has worked in 3 Indian national parks over 4 years, winning him the honor of the “Champion of the Bengal Tiger” in the award-winning TV-documentary series “Champions of the Wild” aired in 20 countries. He has also been to Japan 2x for the whales and dolphins, and conducted 6 Compassion for Animals Road Expeditions (CARE) each covering 25-43 states over 3-7 months. He founded Heal Our Planet Earth (HOPE) in 1999 and is the leader of HOPE’s Global Emergency Operation (GEO) on climate change and mass extinction, which will take him through 25 countries in 5 continents over the next 3 years.