Oz in the News 5.5.18

The Wizard of Dogs A short film by the producers of the Australian theatre production of The Wizard of Oz.

Oz in the News 5.3.18

BalletMet helps bring Dorothy back to Oz for new adventures The 1900 book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by author L. Frank Baum and the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” starring Judy Garland, tell the story of young Dorothy Gale, whose life in Kansas is upended when a twister plunks her down in the land of Oz. But Baum (1856-1919) documented Dorothy and other characters in 13 books that followed, including the posthumously published “Glinda of Oz” (1920). That book forms the basis for “Dorothy and the Prince of Oz,” a ballet produced jointly by BalletMet and the Tulsa Ballet. The show, which was unveiled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in February 2017, will make its central Ohio premiere this weekend in the Ohio Theatre. Under the direction of conductor Peter Stafford Wilson, the Columbus Symphony will accompany the show. Librettist Oliver Peter Graber melded material from “Glinda of Oz” with other books to fashion the story, in which Glinda the Good Witch sends for Dorothy to resolve a feud between King Sapphire and Queen Diamond, whose union produced the Prince of Oz. “It’s a more mature story of Dorothy,” said Valentine-Ellis, 32. “I always love developing characters, finding out new stories or new adventures that they’ve been on.” In an unusual multi-company collaboration, BalletMet and the Tulsa Ballet each chipped in $500,000 toward the $1 million budget — a princely sum for BalletMet.

Oz in the News 5.2.18

Stephen Schwartz Celebrates WICKED During Oz-Stravaganza In Chittenango, NY Legendary Broadway and Hollywood songwriter Stephen Schwartz was announced today as special guest of the annual “OZ-Stravaganza!”/WIZARD OF OZ festival, June 1-3, in Chittenango, NY. The Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer/lyricist will take part in two separate events on Saturday and Sunday that weekend, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of WICKED, which opened on Broadway in 2003. Schwartz will appear onstage at OZ-Stravaganza! on Saturday evening, June 2nd, to discuss his score for WICKED, the show’s ceaseless appeal, and its forthcoming film version. (WICKED includes such classic Schwartz compositions as “Defying Gravity,” “Popular,” “For Good,” and “The Wizard and I.”) On Sunday, June 3rd, Schwartz will offer a special meet-and-greet autograph session for fans at Chittenango’s All Things Oz Museum from 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Tiffany Hass and Michael McCorry Rose, who starred in WICKED on Broadway as Glinda and Fiyero, will also be spotlighted at the 2018 OZ-Stravaganza! In addition to their own meet-and-greet appearances in Oz Park on Friday and Saturday afternoons — and participation in the annual OZ Parade on Saturday at 2 o’clock — Haas and Rose will precede Schwartz onstage on Saturday evening. The Schwartz, Haas, and Rose interviews will be conducted by Emmy Award-winning producer, best-selling author, and Oz historian John Fricke. (Fricke currently serves as creative consultant for the new musical about the teenage Judy Garland, CHASING RAINBOWS: THE ROAD TO OZ.)

Somewhere over the pitch deck: a brief history of The Wizard of Oz in advertising I worked at Warner Bros in their licensing team for four years, where I learned The Wizard of Oz is one of its most commonly requested properties for use in advertising campaigns. One of the campaigns I worked on in 2012 was with Australian dairy company Bulla Dairy, who wanted to do a modern take of the film. This didn’t include any existing footage or music, but instead licensed character likeness and thematic elements. The 30-second ad shows their version of Dorothy getting on a school bus and encountering elements from the film such as a pointy witch’s hat and a boy holding a toy resembling Tin Man. After arriving home we see her kick off her ruby slippers and enjoy a bowl of ice cream on the sofa while her dog, who looks an awful lot like Toto, watches. In a nice touch, a card on the fridge reads: ‘There’s no place like home’.

Oz in the News 5.1.18

Gaze Into Film History: Wizard Of Oz Crystal Ball On Display At Cornell Film buffs can now gaze into the history of movie-making. The iconic Wicked Witch of the West’s crystal ball is on display at Cornell University. The prop is on loan from Cornell alumnus Jay Walker, but it only a little more than a decade ago that the piece of film history was found after it disappeared for nearly 70 years. “It was assumed that it was owned by MGM,” says Instruction and Outreach Librarian Lance Heidig, “Turns out it was the private property of this special effects artist and it was apparently in one of his storage rooms for years and years and years and discovered there.” Imperfections on the hand blown glass globe matched pictures from the film, authenticating it as the original prop used in the 1939 classic. Now, the ball is equipped with projection technology to show different scenes from the film on its surface, but back in 1939, film makers had to splice together several takes in order to create the witch’s gazing globe.