OzWiki:Current events
Other Oz events can also be found on the Wizard of Oz Calendar of Events page on Facebook.
Going on now
Wicked play, around the world
Now playing: Wicked. This is the award-winning musical based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The book is by Winnie Holzman, the music by Stephen Schwartz, and the show is directed by Joe Mantello. It has done so well, it has spawned the following productions:
- Gershwin Theater, Broadway, New York City, New York. Tickets may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com. For more details, go to wickedthemusical.com. For a "Behind the Emerald Curtain" tour on Saturday mornings, go to https://wickedthemusical.com/behind-the-emerald-curtain#scrolldown for details.
- The Apollo Victoria Theatre, The West End, London, England, United Kingdom. For more information, including booking tickets, see http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/.
- Wicked is also touring the United States and Canada. For more information and updates about the tour, see https://wickedthemusical.com/tickets/#tour. Here's the current schedule (locations and dates are subject to change):
- Now through January 22, 2023: The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
- January 25-February 12, 2023: Dr. Phillips Center, Orlando, Florida
- February 15-March 5, 2023: Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, Florida
- March 8-26, 2023: The Straz Center, Tampa, Florida
- March 29-April 9, 2023: Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, Florida
- April 12-May 7, 2023: The Fabulous Fox Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri
- May 10-28, 2023: Cobb Great Hall, Warton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
- May 31-July 2, 2023: The Hobby Center, Houston, Texas
- July 5-30, 2023: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Georgia
- August 2-20, 2023: Peace Center, Greenville, South Carolina
Ozmafia anime series, on the Internet
Now playing: Ozmafia anime series, crunchyroll.com. In this Japanese anime series (based on the video game of the same name), Scarlet is a new transfer student at Oz Academy. He doesn't get off to a good start, but the teachers seem nice enough. But what strange secrets are hiding at Oz Academy, and why are they at war with the other academies? Episodes (in Japanese, with English subtitles) are available to view online at http://www.crunchyroll.com/ozmafia for free.
The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz, throughout the United Kingdom
Now playing: The Wizard of Oz, throughout the United Kingdom. Oz is a popular show to perform in the United Kingdom, and there always seems to be a show going on somewhere. For a complete listing of all upcoming productions of The Wizard of Oz in the United Kingdom, see the listings at The List, naturally. They also have listings for performances of The Wiz.
Emerald City television series, NBC.com
Emerald City television series, NBC.com The latest Oz TV project has gone through its broadcast run on NBC. But the show's website is still up at http://www.nbc.com/emerald-city. You can still watch episodes online at http://www.nbc.com/emerald-city/episodes.
Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, Internet Streaming and Cablecast
Now playing: Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz cartoon series, Internet Streaming, Boomerang. Boomerang brings you the latest Oz cartoon series, based (very loosely) on the famous 1939 film version. Dorothy is now a princess of Oz and living in the Emerald City with Queen Ozma. But she's still having adventures! The first episode is free on the Boomerang website, but getting the rest means subscribing to Boomerang's streaming service. For more information, see the show's website at https://watch.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series/volume-1. Or, if you have the Boomerang or Cartoon Network cable channels, episodes are now being shown there as well. Other territories around the world, outside the United States, also have the show, so check your local version of the Cartoon Network or Boomerang channels or websites.
Lost in Oz series, Internet streaming
Now playing: Lost in Oz, Amazon Video streaming. This animated series from Amazon tells the story of Dorothy, a modern-day girl, and her dog Toto, who are whisked to Oz when Dorothy opens one of her mother's old journals. To get home, she must find the elements of magic and help restore magic to Oz. Fortunately she has made friends with Ojo the Munchkin and West, a trainee witch, to help her out. To get started, see Amazon's Lost in Oz website at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z89MYTI! And in November of 2022, this short was dropped with news of what's to come:
Chronicles of Oz podcast, the Internet
Now streaming: The Chronicles of Oz podcast, seasons 1, 2, and 3. This audio adaptation of the first three Oz books, each in six episodes, presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvellous Land of Oz, and Ozma of Oz. Produced by Crossover Adventure Productions out of Australia. All episodes, along with trailers and other materials, can be downloaded at http://chroniclesofoz.com/. And now available…
The Royal Podcast of Oz, the Internet
Now streaming: The Royal Podcast of Oz, podbean.com and other podcasting sites. Now running for over a decade, this podcast is devoted to all things Oz, with interviews, reviews, news, and other items of interest to Oz fans of all types. You can listen to or download all editions at https://anchor.fm/the-royal-podcast-of-oz/, or look for it on your favorite podcast site.
Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me, National Public Radio
Now streaming: Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me edition of May 11, 2019, npr.org. The popular current events quiz show recorded this episode in St. Louis, and got one of the city's most celebrated residents to play "Not My Job". Former Cardinals shortstop and Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith was nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz" in his playing days, so naturally, he gets to answer questions about The Wizard of Oz! You can listen to the entire episode here, or just Smith's segment here.
Hit the Bricks! podcast, the Internet
Now playing: Hit the Bricks! podcast, the Internet. One hundred years after the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Gale farm is abandoned, and a new generation is off to have adventures in Oz. The first act has now dropped, with further episodes to come. For more information, see the show's website at https://hitthebricks.com/, and its Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/HitTheBricksPod/.
The Smallwood Sessions podcast, "The Podcast of Oz", the Internet
Now playing: "The Podcast of Oz" episode of The Smallwood Sessions podcast. To celebrate what would have been the 2020 edition of Chittenango's Oz-Stravaganza, this podcast about upstate New York celebrates Oz and creator L. Frank Baum's connections to the area. To listen, go to https://anchor.fm/josh-taylor87/episodes/Episode-22-The-Podcast-of-Oz-ef05f4.
Down the Yellow Brick Pod podcast, the Internet
Now playing: Down the Yellow Brick Pod podcast. This podcast takes a deep dive into the Oz books, one chapter at a time, and looks at all that they encompass. Available on many podcast sources, including Google Podcasts, and through this link.
The Wonderful Recap of Oz podcast, the Internet
Now playing: The Wonderful Recap of Oz podcast. This podcast recaps the Oz books, one per episode. Available Available on many podcast sources, including Google Podcasts, and through this link.
No Place Like Home podcast, the Internet
Now playing: No Place Like Home podcast. This podcast looks at the Ruby Slippers, how they were stolen in 2005 and found again in 2018, and all the background behind them, the production of The Movie, the life of Judy Garland, and more. Available on most podcasting sites. For more information, the show's website is at https://shows.cadence13.com/podcast/noplacelikehome.
The Lost Princess of Oz podcast, the Internet
Now playing: The Lost Princess of Oz podcast. A new, original Oz story for kids (of all ages), told in six parts, with songs, and presented by the Delaware Children's Theatre. Although based on Baum's writings, this is not the same story as his novel The Lost Princess of Oz. For more information, or to subscribe, see the show's website at https://www.thelostprincessofozpodcast.com/.
The Wizard of Oz: A Homegrown American Fairy Tale radio broadcast, BBC World Service
Now playing: The Wizard of Oz: A Homegrown American Fairy Tale radio documentary, BBC World Service and online streaming. This program looks at the origins and mythology of The Wizard of Oz and how it came about. It is currently available to listen or download online, anywhere in the world. Check the program's website at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct1rl9 to listen to it online, or to download it.
To Oz? To Oz! online convention, the Internet
To Oz? To Oz! online convention. With so many Oz events having to be cancelled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a bunch of them got together to present some of their events to a worldwide, online audience for free. The live portions of the convention have now ended, but if you go to https://ozis.us/, you can see many prerecorded talks and events.
The OzConnection, YouTube
The OzConnection, YouTube. OzCon International, the world's longest running Wizard of Oz convention, now has a YouTube channel at "The OzConnection", which features highlights of earlier cons and new material. The link is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU5pEFZZ6n_vXvRalgclSg.
The OzConnection has recently started two shows specifically for their channel. The first is a talk show called "OZ:Connect", which you can find in a playlist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-NAe0FKDXk&list=PLVNfENfXbx111GmnLLJFklUVGxPl1zUC-. The other new show is "Crypto-Oz-ology", short stories about all kinds of unusual happenings in Oz, which is in a playlist at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCoSH97u4ts&list=PLVNfENfXbx11g0DhXikoqyP0dslwHeC1h.
Oz Talk, YouTube
Oz Talk panel talk show, YouTube. Join five Oz friends as they discuss any and all Oz subjects under the sun. New episodes will drop every two weeks on the Official Oz Club's YouTube Channel. You can find the playlist for Oz Talk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNINbbefPS4&list=PL3OVMLWgINCRfgeWZR8GPJOp11rR73Ssc.
Fifty Years of Oziana Readings, Youtube
Fifty Years of Oziana short story readings, YouTube. To celebrate fifty years of Oziana, the International Wizard of Oz Club's annual literary magazine, Club members read stories from the last five decades. Many authors have even revisited their own stories. You can see the playlist of all stories right here.
American Experience: American Oz documentary, pbs.org
American Experience: American Oz documentary, pbs.org. The recent PBS documentary, American Oz, about the life of L. Frank Baum and the creation of Oz (part of the American Experience series) is now available for viewing online, and streaming on the PBS app. To watch, go to https://www.pbs.org/video/american-oz-cvqd3p/. If you're not sure yet, here's the trailer:
Wicked in Concert, pbs.org
Wicked in Concert, pbs.org This special highlights the music of the Broadway musical Wicked. Hosts Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth introduce performances by artists including Amber Riley, Rita Moreno, Gabrielle Ruiz, Ariana DeBose, Cynthia Erivo, Isaac Powell, Alex Newell, Jennifer Nettles, and the American Pops Orchestra. To watch online, see https://www.pbs.org/show/wicked-concert/, or the PBS app.
Rainbow movie, Netflix
Now playing: Rainbow, on Netflix worldwide. The first streaming service premieres this new movie, from director Paco León, that uses themes and imagery from The Wizard of Oz to explore the coming of age of Dora, a young Spanish woman who finds that everything she thought she knew about her life may be wrong. Available in an English dub, or with English subtitles.
The Land of Oz world premiere musical, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Now through December 31: The Land of Oz world premiere musical, Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Heights, Ohio. This brand new musical adapts L. Frank Baum's second Oz book for the stage. More information, including ticket purchasing, can be found at https://www.dobama.org/land-of-oz. A review is online at https://www.news-herald.com/2022/12/08/dobamas-world-premiere-of-the-land-of-oz-has-the-magic-touch/.
Claus: The Musical, Salford, United Kingdom
Now through January 8, 2023: Claus: The Musical, Lowry Theatre, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. This is the world premiere production of this musical adaptation of the L. Frank Baum book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Tickets are available now. For more information, see the show's website at https://thelowry.com/whats-on/claus-the-musical/. And there's now an article, with a sample of one of the songs, at https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/claus-musical-world-premiere-cast-sing_57622.html.
The Witches of Oz interactive theatrical experience, London, England, Great Britain
Now through January 15, 2023: The Witches of Oz interactive theatrical experience, The Vaults, London, England, Great Britain. When Dorothy gets drag-ged back to Oz, she finds all is not quite as it was when she left, and now witches are vying for power. For more information and tickets, see the show's website at https://www.thevaults.london/the-witches-of-oz. You can read more about the show at https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/THE-WITCHES-OF-OZ-Opens-at-The-Vaults-Theatre-20220921.
November/December 2022
The Wizard of Oz, holiday cablecasts
The Wizard of Oz holiday cablecasts, TBS and TNT. The stations' annual holiday season showings of the famous film version are, generally speaking, around Thanksgiving on TBS and Christmas on TNT. Here are the current listings:
- December 25, 2022, 8:00 pm EST, TBS
- December 26, 2022, 8:00 pm EST, TNT
Consult your local listings for exact time and channel on your provider.
The Wiz holiday cablecasts, BET
The Wiz holiday cablecasts, BET. The cable channel BET has holiday time airings of the 1978 film adaptation of The Wiz, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda, and Richard Pryor as the Wiz. Here are the currently scheduled listings:
- December 25, 2022, 5:30 pm EST
- December 26, 2022, 5:00 pm EST
- December 27, 2022, 10:00 am EST
Consult your local listings for exact time and channel on your provider.
December 2022
No events scheduled.
March 2023
Wicked Marathon/Half Marathon/5K race, Wamego, Kansas
March (exact date to be announced, we hope), 2023: Wicked Marathon/Half Marathon/5K race, Wamego, Kansas. The annual Oz-themed road race, in the home of the Oz Museum, benefits the Wamego High School cross-country team and other running and fitness charities in the area. There is also a carbo-loading spaghetti feed the night before. For more information, and to register, see https://runsignup.com/Race/KS/Wamego/WickedFast and http://wickedmarathon.org/.
The Wiz, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
March 2-26, 2023: The Wiz, Fulton Theatre, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Tony-winning musical is revived in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, including ordering tickets, see the show's website at https://thefulton.org/shows/the-wiz/.
April 2023
Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz, Olathe, Kansas
April 22, 2023: Garmin Marathon in the Land of Oz, Olathe, Kansas. If you're going to have a 26.2-mile run in Kansas, you may as well give it an Oz theme! For more information and to register, see the race's website at http://ozrun.org/.
May 2023
Chesterton Wizard of Oz Days Gala, Chesterton, Indiana
May (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Chesterton Wizard of Oz Days Gala, Chesterton, Indiana. One of the most celebrated Wizard of Oz festivals is back! For more information, see the event's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WizardofOzDays/.
Yellow Brick Road Festival, Sedan, Kansas
May (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Yellow Brick Road Festival, Sedan, Kansas. This town in Kansas celebrates The Wizard of Oz every year. For details, see http://www.lasr.net/travel/city.php?Sedan&Kansas&Yellow+Brick+Road+Festival&City_ID=KS0604019&Event_ID=KS0604019e002&VE=Y or call 620-725-4033.
The Oz Run, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
May (most likely, exact date to be announced), 2023: The Oz Run, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. This annual 5K and half-marathon run raises money for local charities while the participants dress in Oz costumes as they make their ways to the Emerald City at the end. For more information, or to sign up, go to https://www.raceentry.com/oz-run/race-information. And if you want to find out a little more, including video of the 2016 run, see http://www.weau.com/content/misc/Oz-Run---Dec-19th-407438355.html.
June 2023
Oz-Stravaganza, Chittenango, New York
June (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Oz-Stravaganza, Chittenango, New York. This village in upstate New York honors its native son, L. Frank Baum, with an annual festival honoring his creation, the Land of Oz. For more information, see the event's website at http://www.oz-stravaganza.com/.
Judy Garland Festival, Grand Rapids, Minnesota
June (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Judy Garland Festival, Judy Garland Museum and environs, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Judy Garland's home town celebrates her in this annual festival, with events all over town spread out over several days. For more information, keep an eye on the event's website at https://www.judygarlandmuseum.com/.
The Wizard of Oz stage show, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
June 24-July 15, 2023: The Wizard of Oz stage show, Fulton Theatre, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The stage version of the famous movie version becomes a Saturday matinée summer event in southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, including buying tickets, see the show's website at https://thefulton.org/shows/the-wizard-of-oz/.
July 2023
OzCon International, Pomona, California
July 28-30, 2023: OzCon International, Kellogg West Conference Center and Hotel, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Pomona, California. The world's longest continuously running Wizard of Oz convention is back for its first live, weekend-long edition in four years. The theme will be animation and Oz. For updates and further details, check out http://www.ozconinternational.com/. Registration is now open at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5659038. If you want to see any of the videos presented at the 2020 and 2021 online versions of the convention, you can now watch many of them through the OzConnection YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQU5pEFZZ6n_vXvRalgclSg/featured.
August 2023
Wicked, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Opening August, 2023: Wicked, Lyric Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's back! The award-winning musical about the witches of Oz is coming back to Australia. For more information, and to get on the waitlist, go to https://wickedthemusical.com.au/.
September 2023
Autumn at Oz Party, Banner Elk, North Carolina
September (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Autumn at Oz Party, Beech Mountain, Banner Elk, North Carolina. The Wizard of Oz Park on the mountain may no longer be in regular operation, but it's still there, and Oz and park fans get together once a year for a party. For more information, including when tickets go on sale, check out https://www.landofoznc.com/autumnatoz.
Michigan Wizard of Oz Festival, Ionia, Michigan
September (exact dates to be announced), 2023: Michigan Wizard of Oz Festival, Ionia, Michigan. This Michigan town holds an annual Wizard of Oz festival. For details and schedule, see the festival's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MichiganWizardofozfest/.
October 2023
Oztoberfest, Wamego, Kansas
October (exact date to be announced), 2023: Oztoberfest, Wamego, Kansas. The town not only has an Oz museum, they put on an annual Oz festival. Authors and other special guests will attend, and there's also admission to the museum. For more details, call the Oz museum at 1-866-458-TOTO, or see the event's website at http://oztoberfest.com/.
OzFest, Liberal, Kansas
October (exact date to be announced), 2023: OzFest, Liberal, Kansas. The home town of the Dorothy's House attraction hosts its annual tribute to Dorothy and Oz. For more information, see the city's events page and the city's website (and be sure to call 1-800-LIBERAL to confirm event and dates).
Wizard of Oz Festival Ohio, Aurora, Ohio
October (dates to be announced), 2023: Wizard of Oz Festival Ohio, Aurora, Ohio. For more information, see the website at https://wizardofozohio.com/, and the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wizardofozfestivalohio/.
Wizard of Oz Days, Macon, Missouri
October (exact date to be announced), 2023: Wizard of Oz Days, Hannibal, Missouri. For complete details, see the event's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WizardofOzDays.
November/December 2023
The Wizard of Oz, holiday cablecasts
The Wizard of Oz holiday cablecasts, TBS and TNT. The stations' annual holiday season showings of the famous film version are, generally speaking, around Thanksgiving on TBS and Christmas on TNT. Keep checking back for updates.
The Wiz holiday cablecasts, BET
The Wiz holiday cablecasts, BET. The cable channel BET has holiday time airings of the 1978 film adaptation of The Wiz, starring Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, Lena Horne as Glinda, and Richard Pryor as the Wiz. Keep checking back for updates.
If I Only Had Christmas television movie, The Hallmark Channel
If I Only Had Christmas television movie, The Hallmark Channel. A Hallmark Christmas romance movie, first shown in 2020 and based (extremely loosely) on The Wizard of Oz! Candace Cameron Bure stars as Darcy Gale, a publicist who teams up with Huck, a cynical business owner played by Neil Webb, to help out a charity in need. It gets many showings at Christmas, and occasionally at other times through the year. For more details and a sneak peek behind the scenes, take a look at the news report on the Entertainment Tonight website. And here's another report with another preview. Finally, here's the movie's page on the channel's website.
February 2024
Toto movie premiere, North American (at least) theaters
February 2, 2024: Toto movie premiere, theaters throughout North America (and possibly other parts of the world). The new animated movie, based on the book Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz by Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark, tells the story of The Wizard of Oz from Toto's perspective. Keep watching here for casting and other news.
December 2024
Wicked part 1 movie, cinemas worldwide
December (exact date to be announced), 2024: Wicked movie, Part 1, cinemas worldwide. The musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel about the witches of Oz is proving to be too much story for just one movie, so it's been split into two! The first half is coming out for the 2024 holiday season. Keep an eye out for further announcements, including further casting (aside from Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Ariana Grande as Galinda, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, and Ethan Slater as Boq) and an exact date.
December 2025
Wicked part 2 movie, cinemas worldwide
December (exact date to be announced), 2025: Wicked movie, Part 2, cinemas worldwide. The musical adaptation of Gregory Maguire's novel about the witches of Oz is proving to be too much story for just one movie, so it's been split into two! The second half is coming out for the 2025 holiday season. Keep an eye out for further announcements, including an exact date.
To Be Announced
Midwest Oz Fest, Location To Be Announced
Midwest Oz Fest, Location To Be Announced. The southwest suburbs of Chicago last hosted an Oz festival in 2019. There have yet to be any announcements of future events, but keep an eye on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MidwestWizardOfOzFestival/.
