WE'RE ALL FRIENDS OF DOROTHY

Forget Sunday in the Park with George.  I had Sunday in Chicago in Oz Park with my great galpal, MS!...What better way to spend a leisurely afternoon, as the weather "warms" up (a piping hot 36 degrees, where's my thong?) and many slowly-defrosting Chicagoans take to the outdoors to thaw out and socialize.  Oz Park (in Chicago's historic and bustling Lincoln Park area) envelopes you as you take it in...even though we had to leap through puddles (I swear they were six feet deep) to get close to first-rate artist renderings of The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, The Scarecrow and Dorothy (complete with Toto and picnic basket, of course).

Who isn't in love with "The Wizard of Oz," or at least feel it's a special part of their childhood?  

One of the glorious moments in strolling through Oz Park was seeing dozens of children (and their parents), blissfully ignoring the sprinkle of rain and puddles, frolicking (I don't use that word often, but it certainly fits here) with such joy and abandon in the Oz-themed playground. I was worried about getting my butch lace-up (supposedly) water-proof work boots wet in those deep puddles.  Well, that's what happens when you get older.  One day it's splashing in puddles, the next you fret about damp shoes...when did I become my grandmother?

As a pair of Judy Garland devotees (talk about getting in deep!), Oz Park is a particular treat for MS and myself to share together, all the more so because MS is knee-deep in its history and splendor and got to play tour guide on this day for my first time in the park. 

As she explained, in the early 1990s, the Oz Park Advisory Council and the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce commissioned artist John Kearney to create a Tiny Man sculpture, which was installed in October of 1995; The Cowardly Lion followed in May, 2001, with the 7 ft./800 lb. cast bronze Scarecrow joining the others in June of 2005.  In Spring, 2007, Dorothy and Toto were unveiled in Oz Park, to much acclaim and fanfare, marching bands included.

Thanks to MS for generously providing several of her great shots from Dorothy's debut in Oz Park last year.  Additional thanks, my dear MS, for a great day, a memorable afternoon and her kind of delicious, factoid-filled tour I probably wouldn't get at The Smithsonian. 

I didn't want the day to end at Oz Park -- keep in mind, I was rocket-fueled by a caffeine-spiked White Chocolate Low-Fat Mocha the size of a water pitcher from the nearby neighborhood Starbucks -- MS then took me on a guided tour of the "new" (for me) Lincoln Avenue..I never knew so many faux Irish people had so many Irish-named bars! And all on one block...although a matinee live performance was underway, we silently made our way into the gloriously restored Biograph Theatre (back in my day, it was known as the place where Dillinger got shot), now billed and fabulously reborn as The Victory Gardens Theater.  

The manager welcomed us in and invited us to look around the grand lobby...and bar area, where a large-screen monitor broadcasts the live performance.  The theatre brought back a lot of warm memories for me...when I was in high school, The Biograph was known then as THE place for revivals of great old movies...and with the added bonus of great prints, rare gems not often seen...and, often, with top-flight stars and directors present for Q&A with the audience.  

I shall never forget an evening at the Biograph in '74, I believe, where the legendary director, Vincente Minnelli, introduced his MGM masterpieces, "Meet Me In St. Louis" and "The Clock"and spoke to the audience about his love affair and marriage to Judy Garland, the star of both films and the filmmaking process in Hollywood's Golden Age. I came away with many fragmented memories of that night now so long ago, but what remains is Vincente's great affection for Judy Garland, his enormous respect for her talent...and his still-potent love (perhaps even adoration) for her, which had not diminished over decades.  

I'm falling in love more and more with Chicago each day...and if the temperature keeps rising, so will my passion for this city. What I find here, which I didn't find much of in L.A., is a sense of community.  People look out for each other here in a way I didn't find in Los Angeles; with good friends, yes, of course, but not in general.  One of my neighbors cheerfully describes Chicago as "the biggest small town in the world"...and I think he might just be right.

(ALL THE OZ PARK PHOTOS ON THIS BLOG ARE COURTESY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER, THE DIVINE "MS"...THANKS FOR SHARING THESE GREAT SHOTS, MY DEAR FRIEND!)