The FReeper Canteen 15 MAY 2008 - Happy Birthday, L. Frank Baum!

The Land of Oz | 15 MAY 2008 | The Wicked Witch of the West

[Old Sarge]

Welcome to the 15 MAY 08 edition of
The FReeper Canteen!

Happy Birthday to

L. FRANK BAUM

 

Lyman Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was born on May 15, 1856, in Chittenango, New York.  Baum held many jobs and careers before beginning to write for children. In his youth, he produced a monthly magazine for family and friends by running his own printing press. As an adult, he was an actor, playwright, and journalist as well as holding jobs including poultry farming, store keeping, and window dressing.

On Nov. 9, 1882, Baum married Maud Gage, a daughter of Matilda Joslyn Gage, a famous womens' suffrage activist. In July 1888, Baum and his wife moved to Aberdeen, Dakota Terrotory, where he opened a store, "Baum's Bazaar". His habit of giving out wares on credit led to the eventual bankrupting of the store, so Baum turned to editing a local newspaper, The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer, where he wrote a column, Our Landlady.  During much of this time, Matilda Joslyn Gage was living in the Baum household. After Baum's newspaper failed in 1891, he, Maud and their four sons moved to Chicago, where he worked as a reporter for the Evening Post, as well as work as a traveling salesman.

Baum's career as a children's author began with the 1897 publication of Mother Goose in Prose. The book sold well, and Baum followed it in 1899 in a partnership with illustrator W. W. Denslow, to create the poetry collection Father Goose: His Book. Although Father Goose was the children's bestseller of the year, it was soon overshadowed by the classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), which he shared the copyright with Denslow. The demand for additional stories about Dorothy and her friends was so great that Baum wrote thirteen more Oz books. Other fictional works created for boys and girls were published by Baum under the pen names "Floyd Akers" and "Edith Van Dyne." After Baum's death in 1919, a new generation of authors continued the Oz series as well as several of Baum's other story lines.

 

 

 

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has become the stuff of American legend.  The story of Dorothy Gale and her adventures in the Land of Oz has been published in the numerous books of the series, and was first adapted to Broadway by Baum himself.  Two years after Wizard's publication, Baum and Denslow teamed up with composer Paul Tietjens and director Julian Mitchell to produce the stage version of the book under Fred R. Hamlin. This stage version, the first to use the shortened title The Wizard of Oz, opened in Chicago in 1902, then ran on Broadway for 293 stage nights from January to October 1903.

And in 1939, the classic musical fantasy film The Wizard of Oz was nominated for numerous Academy Awards including Best Song (winning with "Over the Rainbow") and Best Picture (losing out to Gone With The Wind).

A completely new Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on African-American musical styles, The Wiz, was staged in 1975 with Stephanie Mills as Dorothy. It was the basis for the 1978 film, The Wiz, starring Diana Ross as an adult Dorothy.

In 1995, author Gregory MacGuire wrote the best-selling novel, Wicked, based upon the backstory of the Wicked Witch of the West, whom he named in honor of Baum himself, using his initials - LFB - to give the witch her name, Elphaba.  Today, the stage production of Wicked, which first opened Halloween of 2003 is one of the most popular and successful shows on Broadway and the London West End.

Click on the pic for a video of the show-stopping number, "Defying Gravity", from the Broadway musical, Wicked!

 

 

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT ~ Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members thereof. Honoring those who have served before.

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly, and please leave politics at the door.

Let's have fun!

 

 

[beachn4fun]

Originally Betty Jaynes was cast as Princess Betty of Oz and Kenny Baker was to play her lover, the Grand Duke.
They were to share the vocal load with Judy Garland. Eventually, after multiple rewrites, their characters were written out of the film.

[beachn4fun]

Good morning, GB

((HUGS))

It’s funny when Kylie does that cause I’ll ask her if she’s scared or if it’s a scary part and she’ll tell me no but will be in the hallway (the kitchen is between there and the living room) peering around the corner. LOL

We decided to wait another day to give the grass and ground time to really dry out. The weather people say it won’t really rain until tonight. So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we get it cut before the rain comes.

Boy, if I wasn’t already planning to take off at the end of the month I’d stay home tomorrow. I’m still beat! Only four work days next week!

What are you going to do today?

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning to everyone at the Canteen.
Is a cool 70º here this morning. I will have to wait until it is light enough to see if there is any damage at work.
We had a funnel cloud about 3 miles north of our home last night.

[E.G.C.]

Well, not much is going on. We got our local newspaper yesterday. The carrier for this area quit on them without notice on Monday and we missed Tuesday's paper. They have one filling in until they get a regular one for this area.

It feels a little bit cool this morning. We had a front move through. All the rain moved north of us.

((HUGS))Morning, GodBlessUSA. How's it going?

[GodBlessUSA]

I'm not feeling great this morning. Probably over did work outside yesterday. Hoping after coffee and toast it passes.

Rain will probably hold off till later and you will have fun mowing your lawn. ;)

That is so funny. Kids are so cute and entertaining. I remember my son doing this when he watched Ghost Busters at Kylie's age. He loved this movie but he would do the same thing at certain parts.... but he wasn't afraid. LOL!

[GodBlessUSA]

Good Morning Arrowhead :)
Funnel cloud. Did it touch down for certain? Let us know if there is any damage. I sure hope not. Nice to start out the day with 70 degrees.
Hugs!

[beachn4fun]

YIKES! That was close.

Glad you’re ok.

HUGS

[beachn4fun]

Mr. Beachy is still the same way about vampire movies. LOL

Don’t tell him I told on him!

He’s always been fascinated by the movies but sometimes he has to hide his eyes (I guess a hold-over from childhood?) when a real scary part comes on.

I was the same as Kylie (but older). I use to love staying up late and watching the old scary movies and hiding my eyes behind the blanket that I always had with me on the couch!

[beachn4fun]

Arrowhead, where does Meg live in relationship to you? Would she have been affected?

[Arrowhead1952]

Meg lives closer to Houston.

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning to you too. (((HUGS)))

I don’t know if the funnel ever touched down. It is too dark to see damage when I come to work.

[MEG33]

. Canteeners..Great thread, Sarge!
All bad storms were south of me, Arrowhead..just got a
bit of rain. Glad the tornado did not hit your home!

[Arrowhead1952]

Good morning Meg. Glad you are safe too. (((HUGS)))

I don’t know if either txflake or basil had any damage.

Maybe they can tell us when they get on FR.

[Tanniker Smith]

Morning, beach!

[Tanniker Smith]

Good morning, Meg.

[Tanniker Smith]

Good morning, me!

[Tanniker Smith]

Good morning, me!

[Tanniker Smith]

Good morning, me!

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Morning, MEG33. How’s it going?

[MEG33]

Going fine...(((HUGS)))