Written by Syracuse University Goldring student Nick Reichert

In Syracuse, down a stretch of West Onondaga Street, is a shattered house. Missing windows, broken porch steps and peeling paint blanket this house that is almost invisible behind a thick wall of vines and trees.

Kathleen Di Scenna and her small team at the Lyman Frank Baum Foundation have organized fundraisers on Friday and Saturday at the Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse, titled "Without This Home, There'd Be No Oz."

The goal is to purchase the run-down property on 678 W. Onondaga St. called the Neal House, previously owned by William and Harriet Baum Neal. Harriet was the sister of famed author L. Frank Baum. Her home was the setting of not only "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" author's formative years, but also the place where he met his future wife, Maud Gage, in 1881.



"If Frank and Maud had not met in that house in December of 1881, there would be no Oz," Di Scenna said. "Baum was strongly influenced by his mother-in-law, and she was the vision of the women that were in his books."

This mother-in-law Di Scenna spoke of is influential suffragette Matilda Joslyn Gage. Gage's ideas of female equality and empowerment are reflected in Baum's Oz where the world is filled with powerful women, like Glinda the Good Witch and Princess Ozma, who act for the betterment of society.

Di Scenna's goal is to turn the skeleton remains of the Neal House into a tourist attraction. But before the Neal House can serve as the home for these ventures, the Baum Foundation needs to raise the remaining $8,000 to reach its $11,000 fundraising goal just to purchase the property. Then comes the monumental cost of repairing the building and transforming it into something worth visiting.

The fundraiser "Without This Home There'd Be No Oz" is the first step in this uphill climb.

The featured exhibit on Friday evening is Michael Siewert's show "Judy Garland -- The Incomparable!" It is a journey through Garland's early days in Vaudeville through her most noted roles on both the big and small screen.

Also on Friday, there will be appearances by descendants of the Baum family and a memorial for "Wizard of Oz" munchkin Margaret Pellegrini, who passed away Wednesday at the age of 89. A discussion of Pellegrini's upcoming book "Forever a Munchkin: My Life from Tennessee to Tinseltown" was also planned before her passing.

On Saturday afternoon, there is a costume parade, where children and adults alike are encouraged to show off their best costumes from the book and film.

The fundraiser wraps up Saturday evening with "Judy Garland -- The Dressing of a Legend," which features various dresses and costumes worn by the beloved actress throughout her career.

If you go:

What: "Without This Home, There'd Be No Oz," fundraisers to purchase a Syracuse home linked to L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wizard of Oz" books.

When: 7 p.m. Friday, "Judy Garland -- The Incomparable!" and a memorial for Margaret Pellegrini, a Munchkin in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz," who passed away Wednesday; 1:30 p.m. Saturday, children's costume parade; and 7 p.m. Saturday, "Judy Garland -- The Dressing of a Legend."

Where: Landmark Theatre, 362 S. Salina St., Syracuse.

Tickets: Friday evening, $15 for adults, $10 for children; Saturday evening, $20 for adults, $10 for children. Please note that from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, there are free presentations and exhibits at the Landmark.