Lunch & Learn: The Wizard of Oz in Illinois and Beyond

Bring your lunch and join us to learn about the Wizard of Oz's connection to McLean County and Illinois on Thursday, November 13, from 12:10 to 1:00 p.m. with Decatur historian Mark W. Sorensen.

Sorensen will give an illustrated presentation about how L. Frank Baum came to Chicago in 1891 and 125 years ago wrote the children’s Book-of-the-Year, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Thinking it a one-time effort, demands from children across the country convinced him and later “Royal Historians of Oz” to keep writing until there eventually were officially 40 Oz-related books. Sorensen will explain how the first Oz book was quickly turned into a Broadway musical, then a multi-media theatrical tour, then at least four silent films before the fan-favorite 1939 MGM technicolor Wizard of Oz film starring Judy Garland. Baum’s basic story keeps getting reinterpreted as exemplified by more recent productions of The Wiz and Wicked. He will also highlight Bloomington’s connection to the “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as being the final resting place of Dorothy Gage, whom Baum family lore states is the namesake of the character “Dorothy” in the book.

Mark Sorensen was named an “Illinois Library Luminary” and has received the Illinois State Historical Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. His article, "Illinois and The Marvelous Land of Oz” was published in the July/August 2024 issue of Illinois Heritage magazine. He landed in Decatur 55 years ago and serves as the Official Macon County Historian.

The Museum's Lunch & Learn series is made possible with the support of our presenting sponsor, MCK CPAs & Advisors. This series provides unique learning opportunities every second Thursday of the month over the lunch hour (12:10 to 1:00 p.m.) in person and live via youtube.com/mchistorymuseum.

You may also like the following events from McLean County Museum of History:

• Next month, 17th July, 12:10 pm, Lunch & Learn: Atlanta, Illinois - The Land of the Giants in Bloomington
• This August, 14th August, 12:10 pm, Lunch & Learn: A Fair to Remember - A History of McLean County Fairs in Bloomington
• This August, 16th August, 10:00 am, Knit In at the McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington

Also check out other Entertainment events in Bloomington.