Hi Hi Birdie
This is one of those videos that goes under the heading of "a real treat."
The musical Bye Bye Birdie opened on Broadway in 1960. It was quite a big deal since he was largely unknown, and had only been on Broadway once before in a small revue, and didn't consider himself a singer or especially a dancer. As he tells the story, the producers wanted to replace him early in rehearsals, but director/choreographer Gower Champion fought to keep him and said he knew he'd be able to get Van Dyke ready. He did -- Dick Van Dyke subsequently won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a musical. He eventually left the show to star in some TV series. And later starred in the movie version.
Opposite him in Bye Bye Birdie, which had a score by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, was Chita Rivera, who had a more credentialed stage career at that point. However, she didn't get to repeat her role in the movie. (That went to Janet Leigh.) But together she and Van Dyke performed in the stage show for a little over a year -- and she too went on to her own very successful career and won two Tony Awards of her own... and was nominated for eight others! And received a Lifetime Achievement Tony. And got a Kennedy Center Honors. So, all around, not a bad pairing.
By the way, as I wrote that above, I scratched my head wondering if Dick Van Dyke had gotten the Kennedy Center Honor, as well. I didn't think so -- but how could he not?? And...no, when I checked it out, he has not received the honor. But -- and this is a great "but" -- only a month ago it was announced that Dick Van Dyke will be one of the recipients of the next Kennedy Center Honor. And even happier, it will be presented much earlier this year, since the event was cancelled last year because of the pandemic, and it will be done in May, to be shown on TV this coming June, rather than December, like usual. And happier still, under Joe Biden as president. The only question I have is, Dick Van Dyke is now 95 years old -- what on earth were they waiting for??!!
But two Kennedy Center Honorees starring in the same show early in their careers. Pretty good casting.
We jump now 47 years, almost half a century, which brings us to 2007. At that time, Chita Rivera had put together what was not precisely a one-woman show, since there were supporting dancers, but a revue of her career called The Dancer's Life, which she took to Broadway. All well and good. And I'm sure that the audiences all went to the theater each night prepared to have a grand old time. And I suspect they did. The thing is, what they didn't know here is that they were in for a really big treat. That's because for one week during the show's run, she had a a surprise guest -- Dick Van Dyke! Reteamed after half a century. At a remarkably spry 82.
Thanks to the magic of mobile phones taking video against the rules, we have it captured before the unsuspecting audience. Speaking of magic.
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