Ruby slippers click with young fans of "The Wizard of Oz"

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been changed to say "several Jackson girls" instead of "four Jackson girls".

For more than 70 years the glamour of "The Wizard of Oz" has captivated audiences everywhere and for several Jackson girls, the vivid images and high glamour continue to convey a simple message: a great pair of shoes can take you anywhere.

Though the Wednesday night performance of "The Wizard of Oz" in the Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus may be sold out, these fans don't need to see the show on stage to know it's a classic.

For 3-year-old Lily Huff, the ruby red slippers Dorothy wears are not only stylish, but practical.

"Her pretty, ruby slippers go click, click, click to take her home," she said. "If my red shoes could take me someplace, I would want to go home, too."

Lily is quick to point out, however, that in the book that serves as the basis for the 1939 movie, the slippers are not red.

"Actually, in the book they are silver," she said. "I like the red slippers best."

Lily said she has a Dorothy doll that sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," because that is the where birds live and where everyone wears ruby slippers.

Lily's mother, Marissa Huff, said the movie and the book offer something for everyone, but admits there is an added draw for young ladies.

"For girls, especially, they fall in love with the pretty red slippers," she said.

Shannon Heisserer, mother of a 5-year-old ruby slipper lover Emily, said there are many elements in the story that attract young children.

"I think anything that is sort of like a fairy tale, or has princesses and those magical characters, is very appealing to children now or in the past," she said. "It is just an enjoyable story. I think kids of any age would like it."

Like with most little girls, Emily Heisserer's attraction to the "Wizard of Oz" is all about the accessories.

"Dorothy wears red, sparkly, shiny red shoes with high heels," she said. "They took her to her house."

While Emily acknowledges her red shoes do not have any magical powers, she knows exactly where she would want them to take her if they did.

"I would want them to take me to McDonald's because my brother doesn't like McDonald's," she said.

For 6-year-old Sydney Seabaugh and her 2-year-old sister, Adyson, the love affair with Dorothy and the shoes is genetic. Their mother, Alyssa Seabaugh, has been a big fan since her childhood.

"I collect all the 'Wizard of Oz' ornaments," Alyssa Seabaugh said. "I remember my mom had the 8-track and I used to act out all of the songs."

While she no longer has the 8-track, the family does have the DVD and it did not take long before her girls became obsessed with the footwear.

"Sydney went through two or three pairs of the red sparkly shoes," Seabaugh said.

"She was always traipsing around in those shoes. And of course, she was Dorothy for Halloween when she was younger."

Sydney said she loves the shoes, even though she is currently in between pairs. The shoes she has outgrown now belong to her sister.

"She wears them lots of places, mainly for the fashion," Sydney said.