By MICHELLE HERBISON
THE ruby slippers in Wizard of Oz were originally silver and the Land of Oz was not a dream but a real place, a children’s show’s star has revealed.
Youngstars1.com’s Shakey the Scarecrow certainly holds expertise on the topic, having toured the world performing a Wizard of Oz children’s stage show for the past 15-odd years.
“It’s been a long yellow brick road over 3800 performances worldwide,” he reminisced.
The group is celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz classic movie with a jubilee tour around Victoria, arriving at Geelong Performing Arts Centre (GPAC) on Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of difference between Frank Baum’s book, published in 1900. and the movie,” Shakey revealed.
“The initial screen tests were with Judy Garland wearing silver slippers but silver was a yucky grey on screen, so they scrapped it and gave her red.
“MGM wanted to show off Technicolour in 1939.”
The show at GPAC would encourage children to come dressed up as their favourite character and be ready to sing and dance along, ideal for children between ages two and eight years, Shakey said.
The show would also accept donations of toys and books for the troupe’s children’s hospital appeal.
“It’s a highly interactive version so kids can get involved and help us find the wizard and keep me awake because I keep getting tired now and then,” Shakey said.
“The Wizard of Oz transcends age and boundaries. It’s one of those stories that has something in it for everyone.
“It’s a story of self-empowerment – you have the power within you if you believe in yourself.”
After touring the country and internationally, performing the show to original cast-members, Shakey said the team was especially excited to celebrate the 75th anniversary.
“We had the honour of performing with the last living munchkins. We did Over the Rainbow with Jerry Maren, the Lollypop Kid, in America.”
Former munchkin Margaret Pellegrini became a “dear friend”, visiting Australia to perform with the crew in Sydney, Shakey added.
The grandson of author L Frank Baum surprised the cast backstage at an American performance, saying: “If great grandfather was alive, I’m sure he would be clapping, singing along and smiling with your show!”
Tickets for the 10.30am and midday shows cost $17 for children or $22 for adults and are available from GPAC.
