By John Fricke
It began almost five decades ago as an informal Saturday afternoon event: local kids in WIZARD OF OZ costumes, joyously “parading” around an empty parking lot and then adjourning indoors for birthday cake. The location? Well, it could have been anywhere in the world where the classic story of Dorothy and her friends had ever been heard or read – or in any of the global locations in which the legendary Judy Garland movie had been seen. This was a special event, though, as it took place in Chittenango, NY, the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, and it celebrated the birthday of that prolific author. Baum was — in today’s parlance — “The Man”! He wrote THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ book (and thirteen sequels), discovered the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion – and Toto, too. He explored and described the wonders of the original “magic kingdom,” with its Emerald City, Yellow Brick Road, enduring good witches – and squashable or liquidate-able wicked witches.
So, that initial costume parade and cake party is how a hometown celebration for Baum started forty-six events ago – created, launched, and initially sustained by cherished native educator and librarian Clara Houck. One certainly couldn’t have defined those first years as “a festival” . . . but seemingly the combined (if far-off) sorcery of Glinda the Good and the Wizard of Oz himself slowly worked sublime magic over Chittenango. For now, “festival” is but one of the glowing, expansive, and heralding nouns that describe what has become the village’s annual OZ-STRAVAGANZA!: three full days of family joy AND the longest-running and most widely attended annual Oz-related weekend in the world!
This year’s 48th “spectacular” is titled EASE ON DOWN THE WICKED ROAD, acknowledging both the 50th anniversary of the debut of Broadway’s THE WIZ and the extraordinary world-wide success of the first WICKED movie last autumn – with WICKED 2 (WICKED FOR GOOD) due at Thanksgiving 2025. OZ-STRAVAGANZA!’s pleasures take place from Friday afternoon, June 6th through Sunday afternoon, June 8th. The enjoyment, the activities, the presentations, and the Ozian thrills encompass special experiences, special guests, Oz and craft vendors, carnival rides, contests, food, and fun. Best of all, there’s no admission charge to Oz Park, to the glorious parade, to the outdoor live entertainment, to the awards ceremonies, to the Celebrity Tent, or to the Friday and Saturday evening talks by the diversely gifted women and men who are professionally involved in some aspect of all-things-Oz . . . from the Oz books to the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ film to the currently rhapsodized WICKED.
There are two brand-new featured guests who’ll take the stage at OZ-STRAV! this year – each with a unique and outstanding connection to Baum’s characters and fantasies. VANESSA O’NEIL honors us by making her first-time-ever appearance at any Oz festival, and she comes to Chittenango to share and rejoice in everyone’s memories of her grandmother, Judy Garland. Judy was only 16 when she first sang “Over the Rainbow” in THE WIZARD OF OZ motion picture, and she then went on to acclaim as the “world’s greatest entertainer.” Vanessa’s mother is Judy’s second child, singer/actress Lorna Luft, and Vanessa has her own heartfelt reasons for visiting the festival and meeting those who attend: “Grandma died two decades before I was born, but I have always felt so close to her. As I’ve grown, I’ve had an unwavering desire to connect with those people who have their own devotion, compassion, and love for her. So, coming to Chittenango is a chance for me to share her joy and the joy of Oz – and I’m on my own ‘quest’ to get the perspective of others who care about her, adore her, and who celebrate her incomparable legacy.” (Please note: Due to family obligations, Vanessa will only be appearing at the festival on Friday and Saturday.) Vanessa’s portrait here is augmented by a home-movie “frame grab” from film taken at New York’s Palace Theatre in 1967: that’s her mom, Lorna, and her grandmother, Judy!
Award-winning and innovative filmmaker MICHAEL WILLIAMS joins us “in person” this year after being limited to a brief video interview (“OZ-STRAV! REMOTE!”) during the pandemic in 2021. Happily, he comes to Chittenango to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his remarkable full-length feature motion picture, OZLAND. The backstory of its remarkable creation and the manner in which the young Michael turned out an acclaimed and now treasured movie has to be heard to be appreciated. It’s guaranteed to enthrall any film fan – or anyone whose ambitions or interest include the established Williams’ credentials of screenwriting, directing, cinematography, and producing. IMPORTANT NOTE: There’ll be a special screening of Michael’s OZLAND – open to the public – on Thursday evening, June 5th at the nearby Manlius Cinema. Tickets are required and may be purchased at the door; the presentation begins at 6:30 pm.
Three other returning guests have their own extraordinary historical or contemporary Oz associations:
GITA DOROTHY MORENA is the great-granddaughter of L. Frank Baum — THE WIZARD OF OZ author himself. Her family reminiscences and insights are drawn from her own respected career as an author/lecturer/psychoanalyst; her book, THE WISDOM OF OZ: REFLECTIONS OF A JUNGIAN SANDPLAY THERAPIST is a highly acclaimed text that respects Gita’s heritage, her career, and the decades-long omnipresence and merits of Oz in every-day life for millions of people. Gita serves as this year’s Grand Marshal of the parade!
STEVE MARGOSHES – the “Songsmith of Oz” – proudly premieres several of his NEW SONGS FROM OZ, a decade-plus project that has resulted in eight original melodies and lyrics. Steve’s composed and written this “song suite” out of his love for the Ozian personalities, the Baumian worlds, and his own heart-held affection for Chittenango. The Margoshes theater credits include the score for the stage musical FAME; orchestrations for such Broadway achievements as THE WHO’S TOMMY, SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ, and AIDA; and creative and session work with numerous pop music greats.
GEORGE M. MAKRINOS is best known – and certainly revered – for his (thus-far) two-volume series, AGES OF OZ, for young readers and his coffee-table pictorial, THE ART OF OZ (for all ages!). Those works were published under his nom-d’allegiance, GABRIEL GALE, but for a new and already full-blown career as a Hollywood screenwriter, George is reverting to his family name. Never fear, however: the man’s extraordinary mind, imagination, and dedication are still firmly steeped in Baum and Oz; his new projects are as yet only minimally discussable, but he’ll let OZ-STRAVAGANZA! audiences in on as much (and maybe a little more!) than he’s technically allowed to share.
And (for something like the 33rd time!) I get to be on hand as well, as emcee and interviewer — and as a most appreciative Oz fan. It’s an annual, rejuvenating opportunity “to confer, converse, and otherwise hobnob with my brothers Wizards.” And that means everyone who comes out for the fun. 😊
Happily, Shawn Ryan and Jeffrey Lane Sadecky return as well – the former with his amazing and colorful designs for the Oz Costume Characters, and the latter for draping, encasing, supervising, monitoring, and aiding in their everyday participation, photos ops, meet-and-greet moments – and general “wrangling!”
The expanded All Things Oz Museum on Genesee Street will share its latest acquisitions – including NEW items from the actual WICKED movie! – and will be open for special extended hours and tours across all three days of the festival. (This, of course, includes the gift shop.) The thousands of items on Museum display include an original WICKED stage costume (worn on stage by Academy Award “Oscar” winner Patty Duke), vintage Oz books, MGM merchandising, props from Broadway’s THE WIZ, costumes worn by the original 1939 movie Munchkins when they returned to public appearances across the 1990s and into the 2000s . . . and toys, dolls, games, and collectibles. (There’s an admission fee for the Museum itself, but the gift shop may be wandered at will!)
What else? The parade begins Saturday afternoon at 2. The celebrities will be in Oz Park on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons. Their onstage interviews and reminiscences take place in the Presbyterian Church, adjacent to Oz Park, on Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 6 o’clock. There’s a real Yellow Brick Road along Genesee Street. There’s the cOZtume contest and the writing contest. In centrally located Oz Park, you’ll find the aforementioned rides, vendors, food, crafts, Oz memorabilia, and three special silent auctions (one on each day). And there’s free live music and entertainment across all three days.
Enough! Just come and see! With no sense of exaggeration — but with annual exhilaration — it can safely be stated that if you’re seeking “The Land of Oz” from June 6th through June 8th, you’ll find it in Chittenango, NY. As ever, we anticipate the privilege and glee of YOUR company.
And as I can’t possibly do justice to everything here, please visit www.oz-stravaganza.com for the complete OZ-Stravaganza! schedule!
Gratefully — and most happily — as ever,
John 😊