Well, what girl growing up HASN’T wanted to be Dorothy? Sometime in the early 2000s I went to a friend’s local stage adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz” taken from the Lux Theater’s radio broadcast. They turned it into a crazy spoof of the film, mocking on the script and the actors. But when it came time to think about a 2nd Anniversary special, I remembered that stage show, so I knew the script was out there somewhere! Thankfully, I tracked it down on Generic Radio. I had used their site as a resource in Year One, but so many groups use those same few scripts they have, I decided it would be more dynamic to adapt scripts myself, rather than use the scripts everyone else was using. But “The Wizard of Oz?” I’ll make an exception!
Back before we had VCRs, or any other way of owning a film to watch at our leisure, us kids had to wait for one of our three (yes, only three) networks to play the movie. And “The Wizard of Oz,” at least in the Chicago area, was always played at the beginning of March. I can’t tell you why that time of year specifically, but to my child mind, it was because March 1st is my birthday, so naturally “The Wizard of Oz” plays as a my birthday treat. I had many a sleepover come to a dead stop as we all scrunched our sleeping bags around the TV. I’m sure a much appreciated break for my parents from the screaming girls. One year my mom wanted to take me out for a birthday dinner. But the movie was playing! The promise of French fries and cake was hardly worth missing the movie. Oh, we did go out, and when we came back I rushed to the TV, deeply, deeply upset I’d missed the beginning. Then there was the year stuck at my aunt and uncle’s place, shoved in a spare room so the adults could talk. I watched that entire movie on a black and white television set. BLACK AND WHITE, PEOPLE! Needless to say, I was met with heartfelt sympathies when I relayed the story to the kids at school.
However, in my adult life, I can share one of my favorite movie going experiences. I was on vacation in Fairbanks, Alaska. I saw a local college was advertising a showing of the film. It wasn’t my birthday, but a chance to see it on the big screen? Yes, please! Well… it wasn’t the big screen. They were showing it in a simple little classroom. In the same way you’d watch a health class movie on the dangers of smoking. But here’s the kicker. It was for a classroom of English as a second language students. Adults from other cultures who had never seen the movie before. Friends, to have the moment where Dorothy opens the door and we move from sepia to brilliant technicolor actually receive a resounding GASP! from the audience… well… it reminded me how magical that movie is.
Okay, enough of my reminiscing (but I’d love for you to share your stories in the comments below!). I have lately been describing “Madison on the Air” as “MST3K if the guys were actually IN the movies they riff” (or Riff Trax for you youngins) Madison’s “The Wizard of Oz” is 100% that. All the years watching it, all the times saying things at the screen. “You can’t tell if she’s a good or bad witch, but you just said bad witches are ugly! Oh… snap!” Why in the HELL does the wizard want to return to Nebraska? And that little throw away line about the Witch’s broomstick: “May we have it?” “Please, and take it with you.” I’m thinkin’ the actor playing the guard was looking to have a longer line and improvised because WHAT?
Well, in any case, I hope you enjoyed Madison’s trip over the rainbow as much as we enjoyed making it. And I AM seeing some other great titles adapted for the Lux Radio Theater. Hmmm… what WILL be next? (I’m always taking suggestions!!!)
