I grew up in the years when “The Wizard of Oz” was shown on TV once a year and the whole family would gather to watch ― even those of us who were afraid of the flying monkeys.
In a different twist on the classic, families are invited to take a hands-on approach to “The Wizard of Oz” with a day of free activities, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 27 at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth.
“Build LEGO® creations in the ‘No Place Like Home’ room or test your skills at the ‘If I only Had a Brain-Teasers.’ Enjoy fun outdoor games like ‘Condiment Twister’ and cool off in the ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ sprinkler,” reads a statement about the Family Fun Day.
Kicking off the night before and continuing through Sept. 7 will be “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” exhibition featuring The Dorothy Paintings by artist Christina Schlesinger .
Schlesinger's mural-sized paintings in various media employ different textures and colors to portray a balance of Dorothy’s independence and resilience as well as her youthful vulnerability in a new way.
"Through my paintings, I wanted to capture Dorothy's journey as a powerful metaphor for the challenges and triumphs young girls face in discovering their own strengths," Schlesinger said in the written statement about the exhibition.
In “Over the Rainbow and Home Again,” a 3 p.m. concert on Sunday, July 28, renowned jazz pianist Laszlo Gardony will premiere his arrangement of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and other pieces from the 1939 movie. Concert tickets are $25 and are available at cultural-center.org/,
On Friday, July 26, and Saturday, July 27, Palette, the cultural center’s supper club, will serve a “Wizard of Oz”-themed meal, including “tiger mushroom tart with bechamel sauce, followed by lion’s mane mushroom ‘steak’ with polenta and fried Brussels sprouts, and finished with poppy seed cake with bearberry sauce,” according to the website. Friday is sold out but spaces remain for Saturday at $60 per person.
Molly Demeulenaere, the Cultural Center's executive director, said in the center’s statement, "Dorothy’s journey, alongside her wonderfully loyal and caring friends, mirrors the universal quest for belonging and self-discovery, making it a story that truly resonates across generations."
It is also a journey that swept up Demeulenaere and Genna Clemen, the cultural center’s arts educator in residence, prompting them to turn the center’s vault into a tornado.
“All of the other galleries had something connecting them to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ so we’ve actually made a tornado installation. We've created an 8-foot high by 4-foot in circumference wire sculpture that is a public art installation,” Demeulenaere said.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Best bet: Families welcome to play in free 'Wizard of Oz' cultural center exhibition
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