Strike Up the Band Gabrielle Stravelli Sings Gershwin at Axelrod Performing Arts Center

The immortal MGM classic THE WIZARD OF OZ turns 80 this year! Based on the beloved novel by L. Frank Baum and featuring songs by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, the technicolor film premiered at Graumans Chinese Theatre on August 15, 1939. Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton, the movie musical opened to critical acclaim and achieved legendary status through decades of annually televised broadcasts.This beloved tale, in which a Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home, has been entertaining audiences for generations.With the classic and iconic songs Over The Rainbow, Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead), If I Only Had A Brain/A Heart/The Nerve, Were Off To See The Wizard, The Merry Old Land of Oz", and If I Were King Of The Forest.