Acting icon Dick Van Dyke has celebrated his upcoming 100th birthday in true feel-good style, hosting a two-hour charity singalong filled with classic songs and warm conversation.
Van Dyke, who turns 100 on December 13, gathered with fans and his musical quartet The Vantastix on November 30 for a special event at his Malibu home. As reported by People magazine, the fundraiser supported the Dick Van Dyke Museum and The Van Dyke Endowment of the Arts.
He opened the night with the title song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) and later performed You Two, a tune he described as his favourite from the same film. Fans were also treated to a cover of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins (1964), before the evening wrapped up with a gentle singalong to Let’s Go Fly a Kite.
Joined by his wife Arlene Silver, Van Dyke happily chatted with guests throughout the night. When asked what he loves most about Christmas, he didn’t hesitate.
He said it was “the singing, the carolling,” and followed the answer with a performance of Nat King Cole’s Caroling, Caroling.
The actor also dipped into lesser-known favourites, performing Carolina in the Morning and the theme from The Dick Van Dyke Show, which originally aired in the 1960s.
“There are several reasons for having these – all good – but mine is to revive the art of conversation,” he told the audience.
“I don’t care if you’re on a street, you’re in a bus or in a restaurant, everybody’s looking at their phones. Nobody talks.
“I’ve seen young couples having dinner together and they’re both looking at their phones. I may be the only person in the United States over 10 who does not have a cell phone. I don’t have a phone.”
As he prepares to celebrate a century of life, Van Dyke said he believes in keeping things calm and simple.
He insisted the best way to live is to “have a serene attitude about things at this age”.
Image: X
