Kay Lange
"Over The Rainbow"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
“Over The Rainbow” is a classic song from 1939 that is not only synonymous with the movie The Wizard of Oz but became the signature song for Judy Garland. In addition, it was named the “Song of the Century”.
The song has a personal appeal for everyone. It has been said that “the song’s mix of hope and anxiety is something people can relate to”– Walter Frisch, Professor of Music, Columbia University. From wishing to be away from a Kansas farm to hope for Holocaust prisoners, it has influenced many.
For me, the song has always signified ambition and the courage to try something new, to expand my horizons, to follow a path of creativity, adventure, and joy.
I was five-years old when I saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time; aside from being terrified by the Wizard, I loved it then and I love it today. When I was a young dancer, I had the joy of choreographing my first musical — The Wizard of Oz. I sang the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” over and over and it remains my favorite song today.
Not everything in life is the success we hope for but the courage to try is represented by the Yellow Brick Road, and it is worth the exploration. And so -- I have dreamed, explored, and discovered. If birds can fly “over the rainbow” – “why, then oh why, can’t I?”