The Wizard of Oz and Wicked

The Wizard of Oz has a special place in my heart.

I grew up watching it every single day in my formative years.

I even made family history. As the story goes, one morning, when I was around 2 years old, while everyone was still asleep,  I somehow managed to open the front door with my blankie in hand and walk down the street toward the highway singing, "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz."

I have still never read the book(s), and didn't really care when Wicked first came out. I only just recently got into it with the release of the 2024 movie with Ariana Grande. I've seen Oz the Great and Powerful with James Franco and Mila Kunis. While each adaptation is good in its own right, something is missing that doesn't quite hold up to the 1939 Judy Garland movie.

I like Wicked, despite a few plot holes and canonical issues I have, but I'm not obsessed with the story the way I probably should be, considering my childhood history with The Wizard of Oz.

After giving it some thought, I think I know why...

Wicked is fun, clever, and moving, but it's missing Dorothy, that pull towards something you didn't realize you were missing until it's gone. Oz is sparkly and magical, and Kansas is simple and steady. So many think Kansas is dull, boring, and a place to escape from, not run to.

People tend to focus on the magical world of Oz and explore all that it has to offer, but the message of The Wizard of Oz has always been "There's No Place Like Home."

Dorothy's story is one of wanting adventure, only to realize that she had everything she could have dreamed of right in her own home. Rather than spending a leisurely vacation in a magical land, she spends the entirety of her time in Oz trying to get home.

Dorothy's story is the one that is the most emotionally compelling. Her daydreamy wanderlust is one we can all relate to, but what motivates her is her desire for the comfort of home and her loving family.

I am certainly interested in all the political meanings of what each aspect represents, and would be fascinated to see a retelling that dives deeper into those politics, but that's not what I'm most connected to. I'm more connected to the girl who just wants to go home.

I have been living my life with Dorothy's resolution in mind: There's no place like home. And instead of daydreaming of another place somewhere over the rainbow, I make the most of the life I have at home with the love of my family, friends, and I'm grateful for all I have. I've learned to find the beauty in the simpler things. I try to live a life I don't need a vacation from.

So, while everyone is obsessed with Oz, Glinda, Witches, Wizards, Munchkins, talking animals, scarecrow, and the tin man, I'm perfectly happy in "Kansas," with the people who feel like home.

That being said, Somewhere Over The Rainbow is one of the best songs of all time.

If Dorothy taught me anything, it's that a home you love is worth more than all the emerald cities in the world.

So, here's a reminder to live your life with Dorothy as inspiration. Create for yourself a loving home where your message is: There's no place like home.


-Erica

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