The young girl found herself in a strange land, frightened and alone except for her faithful dog. And then a bubble appeared, rose-hued and sparkling. Suddenly, there stood a woman clad in a voluminous pink gown and glittery tiara. She spoke with a gentle voice, emanating a wonderous, effortless magic.
Glinda made quite an entrance, but for Billie Burke, the actress portraying her, this was no entrance at all. At 54, she’d already had a decades-long career, found fame, started a family and been nominated for an Oscar. And it was not magic that landed Billie in Munchkinland, but determination, resilience … and a clown.
The first act
The clown was her father, Billy Burke, a performer with the Barnum & Bailey Circus. “I owe him a great deal,” Billie…
