MALIBU—One of the most famous American actors is Dick Van Dyke. During his six-decade career in television, film, and theater, he rose to fame as the star of the 1960s sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, where he played the head writer of a fictional TV comedy show. He also starred in “Diagnosis: Murder”, playing a doctor who investigates and solves crimes when he’s not treating patients, and portrayed Bert in the classic 1964 film “Mary Poppins”.
Over the past three months, Dick Van Dyke and his wife, producer and actress Arlene Silver, have hosted a series of live fan events called Vandy Camp. During each event, the couple performed with members of Dick Van Dyke’s group, The Vantastix, an a cappella group. The third event took place on Saturday, June 28, in Malibu, California, held at Malibu High School in the Arlene & Dick Van Dyke Theater.
The audience was surprised when Arelene Silver took the stage alone. She apologized to the crowd for the absence of her husband, and explained that this was because her husband, who had turned 99 in December, was unable to attend in person that day due to illness. Dick Van Dyke would be watching from home and following the event through the live stream, and the fans attending the event gave well wishes to the elderly performer. Arelene Silver also mentioned that she felt that her husband would be able to participate in the next Vandy Camp Event.
