A Munchkin Dies, But The Magic Of Oz Lives On

Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving Munchkins from The Wizard Of Oz, died Thursday; the New York Times obit features a great quote from the late actor:

(Oz was his only film and Carroll often appeared at charitable, retail and Oz-related events, saying:)

“It’s not me; it’s the movie. When they see me, they think of their childhood, and it makes them smile.”

While Carroll — born Michael Finocchiaro on July 8, 1919 — was being wonderfully humble, it is true that The Wizard Of Oz taps into something magical. Something about the story of a girl on an adventure with her dog — aided by sparkly! shoes! — gets a fierce grip on the imagination and just won’t let go. Why else do you think The Wiz might be returning to Broadway? Orlando Jones of Mad TV and those Make 7 Up Yours commercials — as well as numerous films — has been cast as the Wiz. LaChanze, who won a Tony for The Color Purple, will play Glinda; R&B singer Ashanti will play Dorothy, and the the Encores! Summer Stars production of the musical will run in New York June 12 through July 5 as sort of a Broadway tryout. As a fan, I’m hoping this new version of The Wiz doesn’t suck. With any luck, it’ll make it to Broadway, where new audiences will fall in love with Dorothy — and her little dog, too.

Mickey Carroll, An ‘Oz’ Munchkin, Dies At 89 [NY Times]
Casting Completed For ‘The Wiz’ [NY Times]

Earlier: The Power Of Ruby Slippers
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