It’s rare for anyone to reach the age of 100 years. Rarer yet to see a known celebrity hit that milestone. And of those celebrities, how many have strong Muppet connections?? First there was George Burns, and then Bob Hope. And now, the newest addition to the 100th floor: Dick Van Dyke.
On his 100th birthday (which is December 13th), Van Dyke will be celebrated for his long and memorable career, including Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Bye Bye Birdie, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and even Diagnosis: Murder. But we’d like to take this time to talk about his few crossovers with the Muppets.
Seeing Dick Van Dyke’s career as a comic actor, song and dance man, emcee, and all-around personality, it’s actually a bit surprising that he hadn’t worked with the Muppets more. He would’ve been a perfect fit on The Muppet Show, and his leading man status puts him on par with Kermit the Frog. Maybe they had a behind-the-scenes feud after going out for all the same roles? Does Van Dyke even know how to play the banjo??
Notably, his biggest role with the Muppets was in the underrated The Muppets Go Hollywood special, in which he (along with Rita Moreno) host a big Hollywood party in celebration of the opening of The Muppet Movie. Throughout the special, he balances scripted introductions and gags with improvised conversations with celebrities. He really shows off his talent in being able to do it all, including interviews with Kermit and Piggy, Sam the Eagle, and Jim Henson. And it’d be a shame to have him in a big musical celebration without asking him to sing, which he does as he serenades Miss Piggy with “You Oughta Be in Pictures.”
It really is a delightful special, and a great example of a Muppet project that could only exist in 1979. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch:
After The Muppets Go Hollywood, Dick Van Dyke’s Muppet path-crossings become few and far between. The only time he ever interacted with the Muppets again directly was in 2016, backstage at Disneyland 60, a TV special celebrating the Disney theme park anniversary. Despite not performing together on stage, he still took the time for a photo with his old pal Kermit the Frog.
Even though he wasn’t working with the Muppets, Van Dyke still found ways to pay homage to them through his a cappella group, The Vantastix. In 2008, they covered Kermit’s signature tune, “Bein’ Green.”
And in 2011, the Vantastix appeared at the D23 Expo to sing a medley of songs from Sesame Street.
Beyond these official crossovers, I’ve always found a lot of parallels between Dick Van Dyke’s career and the Muppets. His role as Bert in Mary Poppins is over-the-top and ragdoll-like, as if he was a member of the Muppet troupe. And Rob Petrie from The Dick Van Dyke Show is a very Kermit-like role, playing a funny-yet-straightman for a group of crazies behind the scenes of a TV show. Again, Dick Van Dyke has big Kermit energy.
So as Dick Van Dyke reaches the incredible milestone of 100 years, we salute and celebrate him. And we are so very happy for his work with the Muppets and his appreciation for our favorite frog.
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by Joe Hennes – [email protected]
