Wacky Wizard of Oz

 Hello and welcome to a steamy summer Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is July 9th.

Follow the yellow brick road,
Follow the yellow brick road,
Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road.

If you're of a certain generation you know exactly where this song comes from. And if you're of another certain (younger) generation you have no idea - a discovery I made this past week.

For weeks, my kids have been rehearsing for The Wacky Wizard of Oz play put on by Warroad Summer Theatre's Popcorn Players children's theater program. The show debuted Thursday night to a full house. The WAKWIR* had triple duty as the Tinman, a twister dancer, and a crow. The Fifth Grader was The Assistant, and the Second Grader was a crow and a winged monkey.

The audience hooted, cheered, and guffawed, enjoying the bonus gags and puns of this wacky spin on The Wizard of Oz. The kids had a blast and kept the show rolling despite some technical glitches and forgotten lines. But the real showstopper revelation came after their successful premier: None of the children had ever seen the original 1939 film.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I'm sure I have watched The Wizard of Oz every year since I was old enough to watch television. This timeless classic is not only a great story, it celebrates the nostalgia and connection I felt to my parents and grandparents (both of my grandmothers were named "Dorothy") and probably even my great-grandparents. This story is on the short list of all-time childhood favorites I want to pass on to my children. Surely my own kids had watched it with me one of those years?

"I read the book," the Fifth Grader offered.

To rectify the situation, when we got home after the play we got into our jammies, grabbed some celebratory snacks (Cheetos, ice cream cones, and Bubbl'rs), and rented the film on YouTube. The black and white opening did not go unnoticed and the kids felt the thrill when the technicolor brought Munchkinland to life. We agreed that Glinda was the most beautiful witch ever and that the Wicked Witch of the West was indubitably the most frightening witch ever in the history of witches with her cackle and winged monkeys. "That line's in the play," the Fifth Grader would say in the spots where the kids' play and the original bumped up against each other. In short, the film did not disappoint.

I'm so grateful that Warroad Summer Theatre was able to have Popcorn Players this year and that they chose a "wacky" version of the classic. "I want those red crocs!" shrieks the 14-year-old Wicked Witch of the West with a cackle as sinister as the 1939 version. "I am the Great and Terrible Oz," deadpans the kid who plays the Wizard.

I'm contentedly sighing over here. Isn't this what summer is good for? Spending time with our children to create memories by sharing our own? Catching up on all these little treasurable moments that get lost in the busy of "ordinary time," i.e. the school year?

Another example of such sharing this past spring came with The Sound of Music. Again, I missed the boat. "Really? Don't we watch it every year?" Apparently not. The kids, especially the Second Grader, were particularly frightened by the Nazis and the Fifth Grader just about cried when Rolf turned. "Not Rolf. He loves Liesl!"

Imagine the thrill when I learned that Warroad Summer Theatre is also performing The Sound of Music. THIS SUMMER! Wow! Catch all the deets here and get your tickets now. It's sure to sell out fast!

In the meantime, I'm wasting no time introducing kids to Pippi Longstocking.

On This Day

Historic Highlights (credits)

2011 - South Sudan becomes the youngest country in the world

The North East African country, formally known as Republic of South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan after an independence referendum was passed. Since independence, however, the country has been wrecked with widespread ethnic violence and human rights violations.

1981 - Donkey Kong is released by Nintendo

Nintendo's famous character Mario debuted as Jumpman in this popular arcade game.

1962 - Andy Warhol's iconic Campbell's Soup Cans make their debut

The Soup Cans were first displayed at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, California, and were instrumental in popularizing Pop Art in the United States.

1958 - Lituya Bay megatsunami

A megatsunami, a tsunami whose waves are higher than a normal tsunami, hit Lituya Bay in Alaska, United States, resulting in a wave that was recorded to be 1,720 feet or 516 meters high. This is the highest wave recorded in history.

1877 - The first Wimbledon Championship is held

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London hosted the first Wimbledon championship, which was not only the first tennis championship held in England but was also a precursor to grand slam tournaments. 22 men competed in the championship and Spencer Gore became the first person to win the Wimbledon tournament.

Happy Birthday to You!🎶 

1959 - Kevin Nash, American wrestler, actor

1950 - Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian politician, 4th President of Ukraine

1947 - O. J. Simpson, American football player, actor, author

1932 - Donald Rumsfeld, American politician, 13th & 21st United States Secretary of Defense

1858 - Franz Boas, German anthropologist

1746 - Ludwig Wenzel Lachnith, Bohemian horn player and composer

Remembering You

1932 - King C. Gillette, American businessman and inventor of inexpensive and disposable safety razor blades

1850 - Zachary Taylor, American general, politician, 12th President of the United States

1797 - Edmund Burke, Irish politician, philosopher

1737 - Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

1696 - Waclaw Potocki, Polish poet

1441 - Jan van Eyck, Flemish painter

Enjoy a classic with the family and make it a great Saturday. 

Kim 

*Wannaskan Almanac Kid Writer-in-Residence