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Arts & Entertainment

The Wizard of Oz Radio Reenactment

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, an all volunteer radio reenactment group, will perform the radio version of “The Wizard of Oz” at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25, at the , 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is welcome at this free entertainment that will raise funds for Hephzibah.

"Oz" first came to the airwaves in 1926 when WMAQ in Chicago began airing "The Land of Oz" within a local program they called The Topsy Turvy Time Man.

The first network series about the Wizard of Oz debuted on Sept. 15, 1933. Jell-O sponsored this 15 minute kids' radio program which aired on NBC three times a week and was produced at WTMJ in Milwaukee. Nancy Kelly, 12 years old, played the leading role of "Dorothy" and the radio version (unlike the 1939 movie) stuck closely to Baum's original formula and details. For example, the magic shoes were silver (as in the books) not ruby-red (as in the MGM film.) The radio series only lasted from Sept., 1933, to March 1934.

Lux Radio Theatre produced "The Wizard of Oz" on Christmas Day, 1950. Judy Garland, then aged 28, was the only original cast member of the MGM film to be in this Lux program.

Today’s producers and actors

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear is composed of Chicagoland actors who share a common interest - to perform old time radio programs for the community. Each actor and technician donates talent and time for free.

The radio shows are very popular with residents and people from the community. Some bring their children and/or grandchildren to show what entertainment was like before television.

Group founders, Ben Dooley and Pam Turlow, husband and wife, established a connection with The Oak Park Arms in September of 2002, when Turlow’s father became a resident. They’ve been volunteering/performing at The Arms ever since.

To help Hephzibah

To celebrate 10 years of performances at the Oak Park Arms, Dooley and Turlow decided to present a show every month (instead of every other month) and tie in a charity with each performance.

The March performance will benefit Hepzibah. Audience members can give free will donation.

Hephzibah is Oak Park’s oldest charity. It was funded in 1897 when Mary Wessels opened her home to children from a nearby orphanage that had been destroyed by fire. Responding to a need in the community, Wessels continued to welcome youngsters into her home and made it her mission to “care for society’s most vulnerable children.”

Today, Hephzibah's nationally recognized programs include short and long term group homes for children traumatized by abuse and neglect; high-quality day care on a sliding scale for families of all income levels; and the family-based services program that provide foster care, adoption services and help for families in crisis. The programs are designed to enhance the safety, health and happiness of children, while preserving the dignity of individuals and families.

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay - a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The radio show is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040 or visit http://www.oakparkarms.com.

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