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!

 

 

[Old Sarge]

Thank you for the chance to do another thread, folks! Let's have Fun!

[Old Sarge]

WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD!

[Poetgal26]

Good evening Sarge and Everyone

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

Prayers going up.

[Tamar1973]

Yoboseyo!

[Old Sarge]

And coming in FIRST is Poetgal! Hi there, and welcome to the thread!

[Old Sarge]

THANK YOU for the Pledge, Hope, and you’re also SECOND tonight!

[Old Sarge]

{{{ TAMAR! }}}

You’re THIRD in the race tonight, stay and have some fun!

[Poetgal26]

Thank you sir, and I have been here to the Cateen before, just ask anyone...

[Radix]

Not quite first, but still in.

[Old Sarge]

Oh, I figured that! but you made it first in line for the thread, so Kathy will probably have a lovely door prize for you!

[Old Sarge]

RADIX! Coming in at Number Four, so pull up a stool!

[The Mayor]

May 15, 2008

Surprise Me!

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. —Isaiah 55:8

When our family went out for an ice cream cone, my dad would ask my mother what flavor she’d like. Often she would reply, “Surprise me!” She told me she was rarely disappointed in his choice.

Do you like surprises? Would you ever dare say, “Surprise me!” to God? A lot of us are a little scared to do that. Yes, we have faith that God is good and that He loves us. Yet we’re afraid we won’t like what He chooses for us.

Throughout the Bible we read that God delights in doing the unexpected. Sometimes it’s folding back the waters for His people to cross a sea on dry ground (Ex. 14:21-22). Or forgiving and embracing those who repent of their sin (Ps. 130:1-4). Jesus’ time on earth was filled with amazing events that pointed people to His Father—He turned water into wine, calmed storms, healed the sick, and raised the dead.

What kind of God do we serve? One who is not confined by our finite imagination (Eph. 3:20). God’s thoughts and ways are not like ours (Isa. 55:8), and He wants to bless us with far more than a special flavor of ice cream. He delights in His children who trust Him and are willing to say, “Surprise me, Lord!”

O Lord, give me the grace to be
Content with what You give to me.
No! More than that, let me rejoice
In all You send me—it’s Your choice! —Anon.

Those who let God provide will always be satisfied.

Bible in One Year: 2 Samuel 19–21; Proverbs 16:1-11

[Tamar1973]

Third?! Do I look like a racehorse?! LOL! (On second thought...don’t answer that). LOL!

[Tanniker Smith]

G'evening, Sarge! Up a little early, eh?

G'evening, everyone!

Off to see the wizard?
I've actually had the pleasure of seeing "The Wizard of Oz" performed at Radio City Music Hall, and "Wicked" on Broadway (but not with the original stars). Oh, and I own the original ruby slippers. (Okay, *kidding* about that last one).

Used to watch it every year as a kid. And watched the tape quite a few times with my kids.

[PROCON]

Follow the yellow brick road!!

Great post Sarge!!

[SandRat]

[Old Sarge]

Thank you, Your Honor, for the Good Words tonight - and also, you’re the fifth visitor!

[PROCON]

Sorry, wrong author! :)

[mylife]

A Baum?~!~!!!