It was a beautiful summer here in Grand Rapids and now fall has arrived. We apologize for being so tardy in reporting on all our news, but here it is. Happy Fall. Enjoy!
Festival News
The 2016 Wizard of Oz Festival was exciting this year for many reasons. First, it is always exciting when fans of Judy Garland and Oz to get together. Secondly, this year we had a few new programs. Thirdly, we might add, the talent and quality of all events was exceptional!
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| Andy Jurss, Alison Hill, Nancy Johnson and Joan Herrick |
We’d like to let you know that the 2017 Wizard of Oz Festival dates will be: JUNE 8 – 10. Already, plans are underway for this event. In the next few months, we hope to release some information, so you can make your travel plans!
Judy Garland House Tea Party & Style Show
This year, the ladies who teach the school programs for the Children’s Discovery Museum had an idea: Let’s
have a tea party! To this, they added a style show for which Lila Crowe at the Itasca Historical Society graciously lent some of the Judy Garland replica costumes made back in 1989.
By the way, we’d like to mention that New Grand Theatre here in Grand Rapids, run by none other than Judy Garland’s father, Frank Gumm, hosted to first style show here in 1915. Folks then said that no one would be interested in fashion, but they were!
For this event, the house was beautifully decorated with linen table cloths, fine china and fresh garden flowers. The beautiful decorating job was done, and items lent by Nancy O’Toole, Biz Peterson, Corrine Jacobson, Sue Plagmann, Vicki Wilcox and Michelle Russell. All this love and effort brought the home back to 1919-1926, during the period when Judy’s mother, Ethel Gumm, often had luncheons, dinners, and bridge parties. Ethel was an excellent cook and loved to decorate. It was really fun to see the house not simply as a museum, but a real home with flowers, food, and guests!
For the style show, five replica costumes were loaned by the Itasca County Historical Society and modeled by some wonderful models:
Bella Eastman – Love Finds Andy Hardy – no song here, so Judy sang n “I’m Nobody’s Baby”
Patti Rhode - Meet Me in St. Louis – The Trolley Song,
Malina Meyer - Mack the Black costume from The Pirate,
Allaya Lane - The Tramp costume from Easter Parade.
Sue Plagman - the Academy Award scene costume from A Star Is Born. For this Judy sang It’s a New World.
And, as a final surprise, Lorraine Lassig-Banks modeled a black cape with sequin applique, once owned by Judy Garland herself to Judy’s Over the Rainbow.
Each model came down the stairs to Judy. In addition, a tour of the house was given by a 6th grade student, Brooke Christenson. Brooke conducted the tour dressed as Dorothy, and did an excellent job. It was a really nice event.
The Joint Was Really Jumpin’
On Thursday night, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of Judy Garland’s feature film debut (Pigskin Parade 1936).
To open this event, Josh Gallagher gave a grand performance of songs from Judy’s films. Last year, the crowd was wowed by Josh, but this year, he outdid himself with his grand renditions of Judy’s film hits. At the end, the crowd was on its feet cheering for quite a while. The concert was truly a wonderful event to highlight.
The film chosen for this evening was “Everybody Sing,” a movie in which Judy excelled with great musical numbers. She also had great co-stars in this picture: Billie Burke, Alan Jones and the legendary comedienne, Fanny Brice.
Before the film was shown, John Fricke gave us some background on it, and Michelle Russell read a rare 1937 interview with Judy and her mother, Ethel Gumm, conducted on the “Everybody Sing” film set by a Superior (Ethel’s hometown) native.
John Fricke in the Emerald City
This year, for the 2016 Festival, John Fricke presented four programs. Two of the programs were Oz related: “Judy Remembers Dorothy” and a short program for kids and adults, “Fun Facts about Oz.” These were each great programs, but the two programs which truly moved audiences the most were those on Judy herself.
The first, “They Remember Judy” consisted of clip outtakes from interviews Fricke conducted over the last 20 years. Between the clips, Fricke made short comments on who the person was and the circumstances surrounding the event they spoke of. These clips conveyed a Judy Garland that few of us felt we had ever met. Friends and peers spoke of her thoughtfulness and kindness, revealing that that was the kind of person she really was. Audience members responded to this event, leaving full of emotion and thoughtfulness about what they had seen.
It should also be mentioned that during this time, Fricke told us about a show he had been working as a consultant on for the last four years. It’s called, “Chasing Rainbows,” and at present is playing at the Goodspeed in Connecticut thru November. If all goes well, it is hoped the show will go to Broadway.
The Wizard of Oz in Blu-Ray
Although this year The Wizard of Oz was promised in 3-D, it did not work out. In the final weeks, we learned that a 3-D film had never been shown outdoors before. There are several reasons for this. One, in addition to a special projector, in order for the special effects of 3-D to work, complete darkness is required. In addition, a silver screen – which costs a fortune – is necessary.
In the end, we were able to obtain a Blu-ray copy of the film and the special projector required. The Blu-Ray showing of The Wizard of Oz was brilliant! The picture was crystal clear. In fact, it was so clear, it seemed as if the characters could walk right off the screen. Audiences were able to notice things they had not before. In the future, we believe this version is the one we will continue to show every year!
From Our Much Loved Scarecrow
and his Friend, The Cowardly Lion
Here are some special comments by Tom Hendricks:
This year at the Emerald City Fest, Auntie Em aka Theresa Kortman, got all decked out to sell cookies, while Jeff Kortman played the Cowardly ham by getting pictures taken with other characters, including some of our patrons who were all dressed up as the Winkies and Witches of both the East and West.
Theresa’s sister, Rita Pugh, courageously donned the “tornado,” and had the kids dancing with her. The children were actually “twisting” in the wind on the top of a small hill by the old Central School, while Theresa did a clockwise rotation.
The Oz Brothers, ETC.
Jeff Kortman has been a professional guitarist/musician/makeup man, for over 45 years. He has always had fun entertaining, and has played many theatrical roles. For the past two years in Grand Rapids, Jeff has played the Cowardly Lion. He also assisted in judging two musical contests at the Judy Garland Museum’s 2015 Wizard of Oz Festival and at Baudette Minnesota's: Lake of the Woods County Fair in 2016. Jeff has had his own band. This year he did the make-up for resident wit and wonder, our Official Scarecrow, Tom Hendricks, when he appeared in “The Cat in the Hat” at a special Kid's Night performance.
Theresa Kortman aka Mother Theresa, performed as Auntie Em this year for the Emerald City Fest activities planned by Melanie Kleven Jacobson. Theresa enjoys being in the background and helping out at the Wizard of Oz Festival. 2016 was Theresa's third Wizard of Oz Festival! Mrs. Kortman is Project Leader for Operation Christmas Child in Crystal, Minnesota. All year round, she shops and helps pack, process, and ship shoeboxes with gifts for needy children around the world.
Tom Hendricks came to us as a fledgling Oz Scarecrow in 2005, the very same year the Ruby Slippers were stolen. That year, he roamed the halls of the Museum dressed in rubber boots, a green pullover, and two hats stuck together as one to form the humble ha man hat. Did we mention he forgot the yellow face?
Tom worked with Judy Garland Museum director, John Kelsch, to create a Judy Garland Day for the State of Minnesota in 2006. That year at the Festival, John and Tom were able to present the original document for the creation of that day, to Judy Garland’s son, Joe Luft.
In 2014, Tom appeared on the Twin Cities Live, a Minneapolis based television program in order to pitch that year’s Wizard of Oz Festival activities and to show off Judy Garland's solid gold album, and international number one song, Over the Rainbow.
Tom has appeared on Last Comic Standing, the Children's Miracle Network, and A&E Network - Minnesota's Infrastructure. He has 21 years in Children's Ministries experience and currently owns an online company, Minneapple Shop.
The year 2016 has been a busy one for Tom Hendricks in relation to “The Wizard of Oz.” During the summer, Tom, Jeff, and Theresa, who have known one another for over 20 years, agreed to hand out Judy Garland Museum flyers at the Oz related events they were attending. The events this year included:
- Village Fest in Crystal, Minnesota.
- Lake of the Woods County Fair – an event the 2nd week in August in Baudette, MN, - at the tip of the Canadian border. This event was booked by Brian Carlson's Talent Agency.
- A "Meet and Greet" the Lion and Scarecrow at the Historic Heights Theater in Minneapolis, during their showing of The Wizard of Oz. Altogether, 398 patrons showed up for the sold out presentation. After the doors were officially closed, the patrons clamored for more pictures with the “Lion” and “Scarecrow,” including a fan dressed as Dorothy, who begged for a Facebook selfie!
- The end of September brought another “meet and greet” held at Antiquities Antiques in Northeast Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Altogether, our wonderful Scarecrow and Lion were able to hand out more than one thousand Dorothy and Carriage flyers during these events.
At present, this pair are spearheading potential places to volunteer, creating Oz moments and spreading news for the 2017 Wizard of Oz Festival in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
The Emerald City Fest
The Emerald City Fest was very fortunate this year because we had no rain! Families and individuals enjoyed the annual Fest, under the direction of Melanie Jacobson, at the Central School House. There were loads of fun things to do, including face painting, carriage rides, Oz characters and Glinda’s bubbles. |
| Melanie Jacobson using her talents with face painting. |
Later that afternoon, Dorothy’s Animal Farm with all kinds of animals, took place on the lawn outdoors next to the museum. This event was under the direction of Debbie and Marlon Sias.
The Slippers – A Minnesota Premiere
Our big event this year was the Minnesota Premiere of The Slippers. We are happy to say this event sold out. After a sit-down dinner, and audiences were delightfully surprised to the scope and quality of this documentary.
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| Joe Malinosky and Morgan White discuss "The Slippers" |
Audiences were spellbound by the story and laughed at John Kelsch’s comment, “France has the Mona Lisa, and we have “The Wizard of Oz.” Since late last spring, Morgan White’s film has been making the rounds at festivals and special events around the country. We hope it receives the attention it deserves.
For further information, please check Morgan White's Facebook page.:
Special Visitors
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| Kelsey, one of the greatest Wizard of Oz fans we've ever met has won every Wizard of Oz Jeopardy game she's played! Here are Kelsey and her dad, at the Farewell Breakfast. |
Among our yearly visitors are fans of all ages, persons from all over the world. This year one of our first time Festival attendees was Aaron Pacentine, a young filmmaker who loves collecting stories about “The Wizard of Oz” and what it means to people. Last year Aaron’s company, Family Films Productions, released a DVD documentary called, “The Wonderful World of Oz – Celebrating the Oz Community.”
This Pacentine is working on a new documentary called:
The Wonderful World of Oz II: Celebrating Oz Events & Festivals
The DVD will be available sometime later next year. The film will showcase video interviews and clips with stories of various people in the Oz/Judy Garland community about their memories at different events. Look for more information on Facebook.
SPECIAL SALES
The Judy Garland Museum Gift Shop carries many items relating to Judy and “The Wizard of Oz” for collectors and fans. Recently, we’ve also received a number of donations not necessarily related to these subjects, but items none-the-less donated to be sold for the benefit of the museum.
In the past months, we opened an Ebay Account: judyg-us2015 in order to sell items that would be of interest to the public in general, not necessarily our visits. Please check it out.
In addition to the items on our website, we also have used and unusual items for auction or sale there.
If, by chance, you are looking for a rare book or record of Judy Garland, please call us. We have many, many for sale! (218) 327-9276 or jgarland@uslink.net
CHILDREN'S DISCOVER MUSEUM
FREE ITEMS NEED A HOME NOW!
Quick, last minute note. The major display for the Children's Discovery Museum is being moved out in the next few days. If you are interested or know of someone who would be interested --some items already promised -- rather than have this go to the dump, we are donating it, but must go now! Contact the museum!!!
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There is a lot more news to tell, but we will save it for our next newsletter. We apologize for the names or stories we may have missed. We will include them soon!Meanwhile, enjoy your fall! We’ll be in touch soon!
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