late night Dick
So I’m one of those people who uses episodes of old sitcoms as a background track for whatever task I'm up messing around with at 2AM.
It’s part of a theory I’m working on that I work best when I’ve procrastinated all day and then choose to start tasks when I’m tired AND distracted by TV.
…so far, it’s going really well…
ANYWAY…One of my favorites this summer has been The Dick Van Dyke Show. The series stars a top-notch ensemble of consummate performers whom the producers very wisely and frequently chose to feature in every type of musical/dance/banjo/comedy/vaudeville/cello monologue number known to [wo]man. (The cello monologues are surprisingly frequent believe it or not.)
I’m serious y’all, it's basically a musical variety show disguised as a sitcom. Still completely delightful and funny after 50+ years.
[Side note: These party scenes have low-key made me want to start hosting salon nights in my living room with congas and small jazz combos to entertain my friends just like Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore do. Realistic?… absolutely not. I don’t even have a living room…
…maybe I just need 3 names?]
A side effect of this particular viewing binge has been an ongoing conversation with myself about the ubiquity and variety of musical performance on television in the 50’s and 60’s. The introduction of television into the average American home had a massive influence on the dissemination of live musical performance and gave widespread access to our national cultural capital. Even opera stars were frequently performing on popular TV programs giving the genre a place in the public conversation along with a myriad of other cultural offerings that ordinary Americans could now access from the comfort of their couch.
I can definitely trace a lot of my own inspiration to perform back to the availability and consumption of videos and recordings of opera, musicals, and concerts from this era. There is truly no other way I would have ever crossed paths with opera or any high level performing arts at that point in my life in rural North Carolina. In my mind, that's a testament to the incredible reach that art can have when artists and institutions take advantage of their modern technological languages to engage audiences where and how they already actively consume content and take responsibility for the growth, education, and inclusion of a wider audience.
OKOKOK, that’s enough of that sermon, but let me strongly encourage you to check out a couple of these super fun musical numbers from the Dick Van Dyke Show. I can promise it will be a fluffy, escapist diversion from basically ANYTHING that is currently happening in the world. You’re welcome.
What are your favorite onscreen musical numbers? Let me know in the comments! :)
P.S.- Don’t be mad at me when some of these tunes get stuck in your head forever. sry...
P.P.S.-… but DEFINITELY tell me which clip was your favorite in the comments!
!!! 11th hour development !!!
Y’ALL.
JUST as I was about to hit publish on this post I discovered that 94-year-old Dick Van Dyke is STILL offering his acting services on Cameo. If you don’t know what it is, Cameo is a platform that allows you to hire celebrities to send a video message to a loved one on a special occasion like a birthday or graduation or just because. Check out this musical message from sweet old Dick that almost made my heart explode. >
ALSO you know I’m not going to NOT hook you up with Dick’s Cameo profile. Click here to check it out!
