There’s No Place Like “Rome” for a Wizard of Oz Weekend

It's time to oil up your Tin Man costume. The Rome Capitol Theatre will add a splash of color to this gray March when they host a weekend of Wizard of Oz-themed activities. A screening of the 1939 classic will take place on Friday, March 18th at 7pm and Saturday, March 19th at 2:30pm.

In addition to the movie screenings, Saturday will have additional Oz-themed fun, with a costume contest scheduled for 2pm before the movie, and the "Yellow Brick Craft Fair" will be on hand from 1pm to 7pm, featuring local artisans.

And who doesn't love a good costume contest held off-season from Halloween? The Wizard of Oz certainly has no shortage of memorable characters that would make great costumes. From the Cowardly Lion to the Wicked Witch of the West, it's a movie ripe for cosplay. Just don't go as the Munchkin who supposedly hung himself on set. Not because it's tasteless, but because that was a myth.

Speaking of Munchkins: The last surviving original cast member with an identifiable speaking or singing role was a man named Jerry Maren, a Munchkin actor who passed away in 2018 at the age of 98.

It's always a good idea to support the Rome Capitol Theatre, an establishment so rich with history. So much so that the theatre actually pre-dates the 1939 release of The Wizard of Oz. Located at 220 W Dominick Street, it originally opened in December of 1928. It screened first-run films until 1974 under the now-defunct Kallet chain. Now the theater shows arthouse, independent or classic films.

So dust off your ruby slippers and catch a tornado to the Capitol Theatre in Rome this weekend!