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dick van dyke

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Actor Dick Van Dyke sings Mary Poppins tune "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."

At 99 years old, actor Dick Van Dyke isn't slowing down. The Hollywood icon proved he is still sharp as a tack and extremely talented at an event in Malibu, California, over the weekend where he belted out a perfect version of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from the movie Mary Poppins.

Van Dyke reprised his role as chimney sweep Bert for the special performance, which made its debut in 1964. To no one's surprise, his spectacular rendition wowed the crowd.

In a video captured by attendee Katie Bonaccorso (@katieb1013), Van Dyke's talent was on full display. "Actual dream come true today seeing @official_dick_van_dyke in person 🥹," she captioned the post.

In the video, Van Dyke is seated next to his wife, Arlene Silver. Together, they sing the tongue-twisting tune that delighted the audience.

"Attending Sunday's Vandy Camp was one of the coolest experiences of my life!" Bonaccorso tells Upworthy. "As a lifelong Dick Van Dyke fan, it was amazing to see him live and listen to him sing without missing a single word! To be 99 years old and performing at a charity event raising money for the firefighters in LA is so unbelievably selfless. That man is a national treasure and should be protected at all costs."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Viewers cannot get enough of seeing him perform the sentimental hit. "Seeing Mary Poppins at Radio City Music Hall in 1964 was one of the most magical memories of my childhood," one viewer commented. Another added, "Bless him! 99 years young!!" Another viewer shared, "Perhaps my best click of the week. An energetic spirit-lifter from one of the last legends of a generation’s childhood."

The video was taken at a monthly event hosted by Van Dyke and his wife called Vandy Camp, which was hosted at Aviator Nation Dreamland. One hundred percent of the event's proceeds went to the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation (LAEPF) Community Brigade, an organization that helps residents of Los Angeles prepare for natural disasters.

It's a cause near and dear to the couple, whose home was impacted in the recent fires in Southern California. "We just love being home. We love Malibu, and it's our favorite place, our house especially. So this is like our, you're at our house," Silver told PEOPLE. "We're so grateful. Our house did get hit by the Franklin fire, but in the scheme of things, we got very lucky.”

During the performance, Van Dyke also sang another hit from Mary Poppins, "Let's Go Fly a Kite."

Van Dyke sang a number of other songs during the show, including "Everybody Loves a Lover," and the theme song to “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

"And I'm seven months from a hundred," he told PEOPLE. Clearly, Van Dyke's talent and passion are more alive than ever.

Dick Van Dyke is the epitome of aging goals.

If there's any Hollywood star that embodies agelessness, positivity and good old-fashioned fun, it's Dick Van Dyke. The legendary comedic actor has had a 70-year long career in film, television and stage productions and he shows no signs of stopping.

In fact, at 98-years-old, he says he'd love to take a one-man show on the road.

“Cary Grant did it,” Van Dyke told Deadline. “And Gregory Peck. Went on the road and talked about their careers. I think it’d be fun.”


The man behind the iconic dance scenes in “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” has always shown off his seemingly endless energy in his physical performances, but the fact that he’s still going strong at 18 months shy of 100 is genuinely impressive.

His secret? “Genuinely enjoying myself,” he said. He insists his success isn’t due to any particular ambition or drive, but rather that he sees his work as play. “I always loved what I was doing. If it had felt like work, I probably would have stopped it a long time ago, but I just loved it."

And it wasn’t that he was specifically trained for the work. He started at 17 as a radio announcer and then joined a comedy troupe, in fact, he’d never even had a dance lesson before he landed some of his most well-known roles.

“I was always pretty light footed,” Van Dyke told Entertainment Weekly. “When I auditioned for Bye Bye Birdie, [director] Gower Champion said, ‘You have the part.’ And I said, ‘Mr. Champion, I don't dance.’ He said, ‘I'll show you.’ And he did. He saw that I had the physical ability to do it, and it was like learning to fly.”

As is typical for his age, Van Dyke’s long-term memories are sharp while he forgets things like what he ate for breakfast. But his wife, Arlene, whom he’s been married to for 12 years, helps keep him going.

“She keeps me in shape, feeds me and I love her more everyday,” he told Forbes. “We’re just getting closer and closer.”

Arlene (52) also shared with Forbes how Van Dyke has made her a better person, reinforcing that his loveable, jolly demeanor is just who he is.

“I was very cynical, I think, when I first met him,” she said. “He’s such a great human being and he’s so pure in his thoughts and his heart, that it’s rubbed off on me. Just all the wholesome things of life—that’s what he has and he’s just made me a better person.”

Van Dyke doesn't see himself the way the rest of us do, as a legend and an icon. “It’s a little hard for me to get my brain around that,” he told Deadline. “I don’t see myself that way and I can’t comprehend myself as that."

However, the recent CBS television special that showcased his life and career in a variety show, "Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic" made it clear that his legendary status is solidly understood. Between the joy his performances have brought to children and adults alike, the positivity he exudes on screen and off, the longevity and vitality he displays on every level, he's proven himself to be entertainment and aging goals personified.

With age comes a lot of loss, however, and Van Dyke admits there's a bit of sadness in seeing his career being showcased, as most of the people he's worked with have passed. He told Deadline that Carl Reiner's death hit him particularly hard.

"“I think I learned more from Carl Reiner than anyone else,” he said. “He understood comedy. He understood drama. He had a sense of timing like nobody else. And he was just so sharp and bright and a philosopher on top of it. He was the finest human being I ever knew.”

But regardless of age, Van Dyke has no plans to retire, ever. He just did his first soap opera spot on "Days of Our Lives," and he delights in seeing how his work—his "play"—continues to make an impact.

“I’m on my third generation now of kids who are writing to me," he told Deadline. "And I’m getting wonderful mail from their parents thanking me for providing good entertainment for their kids. They’re so kind about it. That I really appreciate. I’m so lucky.”

Dick Van Dyke speaking at the 2017 Phoenix Comicon at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona

Comedian, actor, singer, dancer and all-around entertainer Dick Van Dyke has had a fantastic career in entertainment.

The 97-year-old has won Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and SAG awards and played iconic characters, including Rob Petrie on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and Bert in “Mary Poppins.”

Van Dyke captured the public’s attention earlier this month when it was revealed that he was the woodland gnome on “The Masked Singer,” where he performed “When You're Smiling," made famous by Frank Sinatra.


After the big reveal, judge Nicole Scherzinger broke into tears, saying, “I love you so much. We love you so much. The whole world loves you so much. I'm trying to, like, play it cool, but you look so gorgeous! You look so handsome!"

Van Dyke beamed with boyish delight on the stage, proving that even though he’s 97 years old, he still has a youthful spirit.

After his return to the spotlight, Yahoo Entertainment asked him for his secret to “staying so youthful.”

“Genes, I guess, for one thing. Having a beautiful young wife half my age to take care of me [Arlene Silver]—that works!” Van Dyke told Yahoo. “My positive attitude, I get that from my wife.”

Van Dyke met his wife at the SAG Awards in January 2007 when Silver worked as a makeup artist. The two became friends, Van Dyke hired her for gigs doing makeup and soon she was helping him out around the house.

The couple wed in February 2012. At the time, Silver was 40, and Van Dyke was 86. Silver helped Van Dyke set up a TikTok channel so that he could share his dance steps with the world.


The "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” star also stressed the importance of exercise in staying youthful.

“And one other thing is, I wrote a book called ‘Keep Moving’: I still go to the gym three days a week and work out,” Van Dyke continued. “And I advise everybody to do that, because that's what ages people—it's just a stiffening up and not exercising their muscles and their lungs. Exercise is the answer.”

Experts agree with Van Dyke when it comes to exercise and longevity. A study published by Harvard suggests that people who exercise more than the recommended amount can lower their risk of early death by “as much as 31%.”

@mrvandyke

Keep Moving!!

“Our study provides evidence to guide individuals to choose the right amount and intensity of physical activity over their lifetime to maintain their overall health,” Dong Hoon Lee from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health wrote in the study.

Ultimately, it seems Van Dyke has hit the trifecta that keeps him spry at 97. He’s in love with his wife, has a song in his throat, and has a strong desire to keep moving. Van Dyke is a wonderful inspiration for anyone who wants to stay forever young and has shared some incredible life lessons on how to join him.

Joy

10 things that made us smile this week

From a Kevin Bacon-Kyra Sedgwick duet to a hilarious crash course in sibling rivalry to an unassuming, crowd-pleasing kid named George, this week's list is full of joy and delight.

A dad-daughter day out, a Kevin Bacon-Kyra Sedgwick duet, a crowd-pleaser named George and more.

Here at Upworthy, we have a handful of famous folks who regularly make our headlines for their consistent, continued awesomeness. The legendary Dick Van Dyke is one of them. The legend-in-his-own-right Kevin Bacon is another.

Both of these gentlemen are featured in this week's roundup of joy, and we couldn't be giddier about it. Is it possible to see Dick Van Dyke's bright-eyed grin and not smile? Doubtful. Could someone watch Kevin Bacon sing with Kyra Sedgwick and a screaming goat and not be tickled? Unlikely.

This week's list has plenty of additional delights as well, from a hilarious crash course in sibling rivalry to an unexpectedly stunning piano performance to an unassuming, crowd-pleasing kid named George and more. So many opportunities to smile! Enjoy!


1. Delighted crowd cheers louder and louder for a kid named George at his first hockey game

Aw, yay for George. So fun to see some hive mentality put to positive use. George has a core memory being formed right there.

2. Woman who was an only child asked what it's like to have siblings, and her friends launched an immediate crash course

@lonnieiiv

Don’t ask, just bring it

Welp, she definitely learned. Too real and too hilarious. Read the full story here.

3. Blind, neurodiverse 13-year-old blows everyone away playing a challenging Chopin piece on the piano

Beautiful. Even professional pianist Lang Lang was amazed at how she played the deceptively difficult Nocturne in B minor. Read more about Lucy and her extraordinary abilities here.

4. Dad surprises his daughter with a day out, just the two of them, and it's so joyful

Her disgust with fishing turned to sheer delight real fast. A day she'll never forget for sure. (And Dad, too.)

5. A kid wrote to Costco's CEO to ask for help with a school fundraiser. He personally responded.

Costco, Craig Jelinek

Costco CEO Craig Jelinek responded to a kid who asked for help with a school fundraiser.

Images courtesy Lesley Cerwin

We already knew Costco was awesome, and CEO Craig Jelinek just pushed that awesomeness over the top with a literally humongous donation. Read the heartwarming story here.

6. 97-year-old Dick Van Dyke brought a judge on 'The Masked Singer' to tears with his surprise reveal

Nobody expected it to be him behind the gnome costume. What a legend. Read the full story and see his performance here.

7. Shelter kitten pushes its sibling out of the way when a potential adopter stops by

Cutest sibling rivalry ever. Definitely gotta take them both. Read the full story here.

8. Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick sing a duet of Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers' and they could not be cuter

Total #couplegoals. The screaming goat is the icing on the cake. Read about how their 35-year marriage has survived Hollywood and how they often sing with real goats here.

9. Speaking of goats, you may not think you need to see goats eating tomatoes, but really you do

New goal in life: Enjoy anything as much as these goats enjoy downing whole tomatoes.

10. May we all dance with the self-assurance—and the support—that this kiddo has

Let's allow ourselves to dance without embarrassment or apology like this little man and also remember how much it means to be someone's backup dancer. Just goodness upon goodness.

Hope that brought some smiles to your face! Come back next week for more. And if you'd like to have these posts delivered to your inbox each week, you can subscribe to our free newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.