Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wegeforth Bowl

This vintage post card dates back to the “bad old days” when the San Diego Zoo was presenting a circus-type elephant act in its Wegeforth Bowl. (The Bowl is still being used for daily seal presentations, although I doubt that the seals are asked to toot “America” on a set of horns!) Incidentally the Wegeforth Bowl is where the San Diego Civic Light Opera Company (known locally as “Starlight”) gave its first performance back in 1946: Gilbert and Sullivan’s THE MIKADO.
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Posted by Buckles at 2/24/2011 05:29:00 AM

4 comments:

Buckles said...

On the subject of Gilbert & Sullivan, Mr. Beheim keeps me supplied with CDs of their works.
A recent package contained "The Gondoliers" as well as the curtain raiser "Trial by Jury".
The latest gift was a DVD of the 1953 movie "The Story of Gilbert & Sullivan" with Robert Morley and Maurice Evans in the starring roles.
I drove my father down to Paris to see this movie, it being somewhat more cosmopolitan than Hugo.

24 February, 2011 06:08
Jim A. said...

I use to have set of horns for my sea lion show at the St. Louis Zoo in the 1970s. They'd play "my Country Tis of Thee" or "God Save the Queen" depending on who listened. I'd read about AR complaints about zoo shows that said we claimed to be educational but the sea lions still blew out tunes on horns. I figured if that's all they didn't like I'd drop the trick and do another ball balancing trick or something. I still did the "nose blow", the same basic behavior.

The Wegeforth Bowl was still being used for evening musical performances in 1970. Bennie Kirkbride would have to clear the stage every day. By then the stage had been modified with a water moat around the front.

24 February, 2011 08:31
Ole Whitey said...

I trust your readers will know you crossed the Red River and not the Seine on this epic journey?

24 February, 2011 08:43
Anonymous said...

Ole Whitey, Mais Oui!

Paul G.

24 February, 2011 17:37

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