Along with the lions and tigers and bears, more than a dozen Oz celebrities will be attending the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival in September according to Machelle Blount of the Duneland Business Initiative Group. The festival is returning to downtown Chesterton after a several year absence. The theme is “There’s No Place Like Home” as the festival returns to where it all began 28 years ago.

The Duneland Business Initiative Group has spearheaded the return of the festival to this Northwest Indiana town on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Blount, a local realtor, is president of Duneland Initiative and director of the event. A Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival Committee has been formed and has organized afternoon and evening activities for Friday, September 18. Daylong festivities and more than 125 art, craft and food booths will be available for Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20.

“We’re thrilled,” says Blount, “that so many of the Oz stars have confirmed that they’ll be attending. We are honored to have several of the original Munchkins accept our invitation as well as to have positive responses from Judy Garland’s stand-in and many prominent artists and authors affiliated with the world of the Wizard of Oz.”

The festival celebrates the 1939 MGM classic “The Wizard of Oz” which starred Judy Garland as well as celebrates other aspects of the Land of Oz, The Emerald City and Munchkinland!

Several actors featured in the film as Munchkins have accepted invitations to attend, they are:

Margaret Pellegrini who played several roles and is most well-known as the Flowerpot Lady who sang and danced her way through the famous Welcome to Munchkinland scene while wearing a flowerpot on her head as a hat.

Karl Slover appeared as one of the three trumpet players who herald Dorothy’s arrival in Munchkinland. Slover appeared in many hit plays and vaudeville shows. He also starred on radio and in such films as “The Lost Weekend” with Ray Milland and “The Terror of Tiny Town” as well as in movies with The Ritz Brothers, Alice Faye and Laurel and Hardy.

Jerry Maren was the singing, dancing member of the The Lollipop Guild (the guy in the middle) who welcomed Dorothy with a giant lollipop. Maren has appeared in scores of films and hundreds of TV shows including “The Andy Williams Show”, “The Gong Show” and “Seinfeld”. He also was Little Oscar for Oscar Meyer, The Hamburgler for McDonald’s and Buster Brown.

Other actors and actresses scheduled to appear are:

Elizabeth Maren is the wife of Jerry Maren. She has appeared in many TV shows including Seinfeld and has become a good friend to many people in Chesterton and Northwest Indiana due to her trips to the Wizard of Oz Festival with Jerry.

Mary Ellen St. Aubin, is often called the First Lady of Chesterton. A former actress whose films included “Three Wise Fools” with Margaret O’Brien was married to the late Parnell St. Aubin who was the leader of the Munchkin Army in “The Wizard of Oz”. She and Parnell were the first little people to attend an Oz Festival in Chesterton. Mary Ellen has been back for every one since, including those after the loss of her husband as a memorial to him.

Myrna Swensen was married to the late Clarence Swensen who appeared in “The Wizard of Oz” as a Munchkin Soldier. Her husband passed away in 2008 and Myrna was invited to attend this year (and has accepted) in loving memory of her husband.

Caren Marsh-Doll made her Hollywood debut as a dancer in 1937’s “Rosalie” at MGM. The lavish musical starred Nelson Eddy and Eleanor Powell and was filmed just weeks after her high school graduation. In 1938 she was asked to be Judy Garland’s stand-in for “The Wizard of Oz” and accepted. Marsh-Doll considered it a rewarding experience. She went on to dance in many films for MGM and Paramount as well as to act in many films for a variety of studios. She appeared with Roy Rogers in “Hands Across the Border”, co-starred with Bob Steele in “The Navaho Kid” and with Alan Ladd in “Wild Harvest” and appeared with Errol Flynn in “Adventures of Don Juan”. Her updated biography, “Hollywood’s Babe: Dancing Through Oz” was recently published by BearManor Media.

The notable artists and authors confirming that they will be participating in the Oz Festival are:

Roger Baum, great grandson of L. Frank Baum, creator of “The Wizard of Oz,” first published in 1900. Baum is a successful children’s book author carrying on the Oz fantasy begun by his great grandfather.

Robert and Clare Baum present a program popular with adults and children based upon the 1899-1900 Mr. and Mrs. Baum. In full period costume, they bring to life the story of how Oz came to be. L. Frank Baum is great-grandfather to Robert.

John Fricke is an Emmy Award winning producer, best-selling author, and historian on all things Oz and Garland. His TV specials and programs relating to Judy Garland and “The Wizard of Oz” have been highly rated and most have won awards.

Michael Siewert is a nationally known designer and curator of a collection of authentic Judy Garland wardrobe and costumes, which he has assembled over the past decade. His unique collection will be on display during the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival.

Tim Wolak is an artist known for his life size sculptures of Oz characters, which fascinate crowds wherever they are displayed. He designed the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival poster.

Rick Ewigleben is a nationally recognized poster artist and children’s book illustrator. For the past six years he has debuted a new poster in a limited edition Wizard of Oz series. His newest poster will be unveiled at this year’s festival.

Michael Roche is a sculptor who created the original Wizard of Oz Figurines for the Grossman Company to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film in 1989. Since that time he has debuted several new figurines and this year he will be showing his limited edition Karl Slover piece celebrating the 70th anniversary of MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz”.

See details on the various events and art, craft and food booths at www.ozfestivalchesterton.com

 or call 926-9900.

Posted 8/14/2009