Happy 100th Birthday, Dick Van Dyke!
Today is Dick Van Dyke’s 100th birthday. And as I sat in the movie theater watching the special for his 100th birthday celebration, I got very emotional. Which, admittedly, for me, is not a surprise. But something about watching Dick Van Dyke reminisce about his career and his love for what he does hit me harder than I was expecting. And watching the social media tributes pour in from various celebrities, including Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett? Cherry on top.
Dubbed “The Song and Dance Man,” Dick Van Dyke is a clown in the best possible way. He just has a way of making people laugh. His joy and love for what he does is evident in every role as he brings this lovable yet sophisticated charm, backed by genuine acting technique. I firmly believe it was my constant (and I do mean constant) watching of his films Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as a child that unknowingly set me on the path of becoming a theater writer (which gave me the chance to speak to Julie Andrews, which has been the ultimate highlight of this whole thing).
Included in this birthday special were clips from the biggest projects of Van Dyke’s career, including his tv show The Dick Van Dyke Show from the 1960s. And each time they featured one of his feats of physical comedy, the little girl a few seats down from me burst into giggles. I have no idea if she knew who she was looking at, or if she was dragged there by the adults she sat with. But it doesn’t matter, because she was entertained, whether she knew it or not. I know Van Dyke from my countless hours of watching his movies from the 1960s on a loop every single weekend as a child. I still think of him with his horrible cockney accent as Bert the chimney sweep and as Caractacus Potts, the inventor of the flying motor car. But here was this little girl who saw him as Rob Petrie the fictional comedy writer who put his foot through the seat of a chair, Vaudeville style.
And I think that is the most important thing about his career. Not only is he incredibly versatile and talented, but his legacy has never faded. Very few stars of his day are still talked about with such reverence, and here he is still singing, dancing, and making movies well into his 90s. His exuberance has never dimmed, and his passion and excitement whenever he performs a song from Mary Poppins is contagious.
A few years ago, I saw a clip of Broadway performer Ramin Karimloo performing a bluegrass version of “Hushabye Mountain,” originally sung by Van Dyke in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and I was struck with nostalgia. I hadn’t thought about that song in years, but as soon as I heard Karimloo strum the opening notes on his guitar, some of my earliest memories of musicals and theater came right back. I loved hearing this hopeful lullaby performed in this reimagined way that still paid homage to the original and kept the integrity of what Van Dyke created. And I think that’s what’s so important about the legacy of theater- it grows and changes and adapts as time goes on while still paying tribute to all that came before. While he kept the original emotion and intention of the song, Karimloo brought something special with his own silky smooth notes and bluegrass twist for a new audience.
As an aside, I think it was brilliant to interview Derek Hough for Van Dyke’s birthday special. Van Dyke is a once in a generation performer, and I think it is a fair assessment to say Hough is the next logical heir apparent. Hough’s transition to mainstream media over the last few years has been an impressive one, but I remember watching him on Dancing with the Stars in the early 2000s and being awed by his energy, charisma, and choreography. As Hough has come into his own as a performer, he brings the same light and joy to the stage, and was even part of the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for Dick Van Dyke, performing a rendition of Mary Poppins’ “Step in Time” in a metaphorical passing of the torch (or in this case, a chimney sweep brush).
It does also make me laugh that Van Dyke shares a birthday with Taylor Swift, another once in a generation talent. Both the master (mind) of what they do, the joy they both bring to their audiences is unparalleled. But my musings on the brilliance of Taylor Swift have already been well-documented, thanks to my time at the Eras Tour, and can be found here.
Feature Photo: A still from Mary Poppins, autographed by Dick Van Dyke, gifted to me by my dad as a birthday gift one year. Thanks Dad!