An American institution and one of the best loved classics of all time comes to life in this touching musical tale of dreams-come-true. This original script and score has been hailed by critics and audiences of thousands alike. Though the 1939 film was not considered a success in its day, the advent of television and subsequent “Oz” broadcasts propelled it to icon status as the story became a virtual staple of childhood.
The original of this beloved tale is also rooted in childhood – the childhood of the novel’s author, L. Young Frank grew up in a wealthy home, the privileged son of an oil baron. The family lived in luxury on a sprawling country estate his mother called “Rose Lawn.” All seemed perfect until the day Frank wandered into his father’s grain fields and began exploring. He suddenly bumped into a stranger and looked up to see a frightening figure towering over him, rigid, silent, and leering with a sinister stare. He ran home and every night for many months, Frank had the same nightmare: the stranger chased him through his father’s fields.īaum eventually outgrew the nightmare and became a father himself.
He was loved by all who knew him and he was especially appreciated by his children because of the amazing stories he invented and masterfully told. He created a vivid fantasy kingdom for his eager young listeners and told of a happy place engulfed in green as he drew from his memories of Rose Lawn. The stranger of his youthful nightmares also reappeared in Baum’s stories – tamer and no longer threatening – as Baum realized the figure that once chased him in dreams was in reality nothing more than a scarecrow.Īnd when one of his children asked the name of the wonderful kingdom, Baum’s mind raced and his eyes finally darted toward a file cabinet.
0 kommentar(er)
