Interview: Sean Barrett of THE LAND OF OZ at Autumn At Oz Festival

How does it feel to have live audiences, performances, and things opening back up?

I am thrilled, but I know we all are. Going through 2020 and 2021 was difficult for everyone, especially in our industry where everything was at a complete standstill for almost two years. To see shows and theaters reopening, and to be able to produce this event again on our usual scale has been wonderful.

What inspired the Land of Oz event?

This is a loaded question, so I will try to give the best cliffnotes answer I can.

Land of Oz was a fully functioning theme park in NC from 1970-1980, was named the number one tourist attraction upon opening, rivaled Disney when they first opened (they sent reps to see how a theme park with only one ride was so successful), and had Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher cutting their opening day ribbon.

By 1975, the gas crisis hit America, the company that built Oz went bankrupt due to other failed development endeavors, and a fire was set to Emerald City destroying two of its buildings (including its main one that housed the offices, costumes, and tech equipment). The park was set to close just five years after opening, but one of the original investment companies purchased the park, rebuilt a lesser version of Emerald City (in 4 months!), but did not know how to manage a theatrical theme park. The park slowly fell into disrepair, and ticket sales drastically dropped. It would close after the 1980 season, and it was planned for it to be completely demolished to build a gated community to be developed.

Somewhere along the way, that deal took a turn, and the demolition stopped after the Emerald City was bulldozed. The rest of the park would be saved, surrounded by a housing development. By 1988, original employees (known as "Ozzies") had a reunion at the park, and by 1991 the Leidy Family, who are the current owners, opened the park back up for one day to the public.

The response was so overwhelming, seeing over four thousand people attending in one day, that they decided to open it yearly in the fall, citing the first annual Autumn at Oz Festival in 1993. The Festival has grown from one day to a three weekend event, with smaller events throughout the year, using ticket sales to raise money for renovations and maintenance to keep the park going for future generations.

Who is your favorite Wizard of Oz character and why?

All of them! I will always be Team Dorothy at heart. She's the reason why I fell in love with the film, but as I get older and hit different points of my life, I have been able to relate to the Scarecrow, TinMan, and Lion. But Dorothy is the one character who gets thrown into a new world, is out of her comfort zone which would be intimidating to anyone, but even when she is apprehensive or nervous about what next steps to take, she continues to push forward. When she meets her crew, she unbiasedly and without hesitation offers to help them achieve their goals while she is trying to reach hers. She's about helping everyone reach their fullest potential without pause.

What is your favorite song from the Wizard of Oz?

I am not going to count "Over the Rainbow" because that goes without saying. It's untouchable. However, if we are talking Wizard of Oz - I love the Jitterbug. If we can cite the "Oz Universe" - my all time favorite is "Home" from The Wiz.

What is your favorite moment in Wizard of Oz?

When Dorothy's Ruby Slippers hit that yellow brick road spiral for the first time, and the Munchkins start singing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" - I love the image of Judy skipping down the road with 125 little people skipping behind her. She looks like she is having the time of her life.

What do you hope anyone who attends the event takes away from it?

I hope everyone can forget their troubles (come on, get happy!), and allow themselves to be immersed in the Land of Oz - enjoy seeing the vignette shows along the way, meeting the characters, and seeing the incredible views. The mountain views and natural landscape make it seem as though you really did fly over the rainbow - the park sits 5,506 on the tip top of Beech Mountain. It's surreal. And skipping on the yellow brick road is a MUST.

Our hope and goal is to help continue the legacy of the Wizard of Oz and this very special (former) theme park for future generations while creating memories for those who currently visit the festival each year.

The festival has grown so much over the years, and we are so grateful for the continual outpour of love and support. There is a lot of brains, heart, and courage that goes into this event each year, and we are all happy to share this very special place with everyone each season.

Thank you so much Sean for your time!

For more ticket and production information, click the link below

Photo courtesy of Curtis Brown