Oz Mania Pulls Large Crowds in to See the Munchkins

By LAUREN DARM

Dorothy, Toto and the rest of the cast from the Wizard of Oz definitely aren’t in Kansas anymore; instead they landed in Orange Park for the 2008 Southeast Wizard of Oz Fest.

All throughout the United States, Wizard of Oz fans and some of the munchkins from the movie travel and put on festivals to share their love and appreciation for the movie with others. This past weekend they shared that love with Clay County.

At the Orange Park Mall people gathered March 8 and 9 to see Oz Idol contests, singing and dancing, a magic show, Oz games, charity speakers, a cake decorating contest, vendors, storytelling and, of course, the opportunity to meet and take photos with the munchkins and characters from the actual film.

“We’re here to support the munchkins, and we’re giving kids the opportunity to mingle with the characters,” said Eryn Ware, one of the characters dressed as the good witch from the Wizard of Oz. “It’s great fun dressing up, and the kids love to see the characters.”

They really must because people stood in long lines and large crowds Saturday and Sunday to meet the characters and especially the munchkins.

“It’s awesome to see people who are so unique,” said event volunteer Anita Caton about the munchkins. “They really are fascinating.”

And it was fascinating for attendees and volunteers to get the chance to talk with the munchkins and learn more about their roles in the movie, Caton added.

Seven munchkins attended the weekend event ranging from roles such as a member of the Lollipop Guild or a bonneted sleepyhead to a fiddler, trumpeter, a carriage accompanier and a townsperson.

Munchkins live all over the United States and one is from Penney Retirement Center in Clay County. He is Meinhardt Raabe, who played the coroner in the movie and is known for his famous line that said, “The Wicked Witch of the East is really most sincerely dead.”

And that wasn’t the only line that rang throughout the festival. During the Oz Idol contest, junior and senior high school students were able to share their favorite songs from the film like Twist, If I Only Had a Heart and Somewhere Over the Rainbow with the crowds in attendance.

Contestants wanted to show the passion they have had for the movie since they were young. Even 9-year-old Courtnie Frazier wanted to show her love for Oz by singing in the Oz Idol contest.

“Isn’t she cute?” said proud mother, Lacey Frazier, turning to others watching the performance. “It almost made me cry.”

Twelve-year-old Clay County resident Nalani Quintello won the Oz Idol competition, singing Over the Rainbow.

If there was one thing that rang true throughout the 2008 Wizard of Oz Fest, it’s that passion for the Wizard of Oz runs deep for all ages. Six-year-old Julia Sowers said her favorite scene from the movie was when Dorothy goes home, but people didn’t seem interested in going home with all the fun happening at this event.

“This is our first time,” said Trudy Sowers, as she looked around the festival. “We didn’t even know they had something like this. It’s definitely a neat thing to see.”

Organizer Cindy Bosnyak said the third edition of the festival was the best ever.

“We had a lot of entertainment on the stage and by making it two days instead of one, it helps the spread things out,” she said.

(c) 2008 Florida Times Union. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.