*WIZARD OF OZ: L FRANK BAUM RAREST 1883 PROGRAM* Start Price USD 1,000.00 Current Price USD 1,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, June 30, 2008 End Time Thursday, July 10, 2008 Location New York See more about '*WIZARD OF OZ: L FRANK BAUM RAREST 1883 PROGRAM*' Description He loved the theatre. At age twenty six, he set himself up as an actor-manager, billed himself as Louis F Baum, and went out with a play he had written himself and for which he had also written the lyrics and composed the music. The Great 5 Act Melodrama The Maid of Arran was adapted from William Black's novel A Princess of Thule. Baum played the leading role, Hugh Holcomb, "the fair haired stranger," and his aunt Katherine Grey was among the cast. Later, of course, as L Frank Baum, he wrote the enduring Oz books. The stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz proved a great success on Broadway two decades later with David Montgomery as the Tin Woodman, Fred Stone as the Scarecrow, Anna Laughlin as Dorothy, and Lotta Faust as Tryxie Tryfle, and more than half a century after The Maid of Annan, the classic Wizard of Oz film was released with Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr and Billie Burke. A rare large original New York theatre program circa spring 1883 for L Frank Baum starring in The Maid of Arran. Testimonials printed on the program include "Fascinating, Original and Comical" Detroit Free Press, "Certainly The Best Drama Produced Here This Season" Chicago Times and "The Best Dramatic Birth That Has Taken Place For Years" New York News. The program also features two reviews of the play. Dimensions twelve by nine and a quarter inches. Two pages front and back, with illustraions for a home gymnasium to the reverse in a style that prefigures W W Denslow. Light edgewear, a few small tears and light fold else fine. Extremely rare early Oz and Baum memorabilia. Offered for less than it would bring at Swann. Buyer pays insured shipping. Reduced postage for buyers of multiple items. Credit cards accepted with Paypal. Inquiries always welcome, and you can visit the OldTheatreShop site by clicking on the "Me" page. Please visit my other eBay auctions for more early theatre and historical autographs, photographs and programs and great actor and actress cabinet photos and CDV's.     Place a Bid!