Walt Disney was born in Illinois, but spent much of his childhood in Missouri.

Dick Van Dyke was born in Missouri, but spent much of his childhood in Illinois.

Two long-neglected houses in Illinois are now getting the attention they deserve. Restoration of the Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago has been underway since 2013, turning back the clock on a house that had been chopped into a nondescript two-flat apartment house covered with white aluminum siding. The Dick Van Dyke childhood home in Danville, Illinois, around 140 miles south of Chicago, was condemned in December 2014, but efforts that began in 2015 saved it from the bulldozers.

The Executive Director of The Walt Disney Birthplace is Todd Regan.

The Executive Director of The Dick Van Dyke Foundation is Todd Regan.

Yep! And Todd Regan is also Dusty Sage of MiceChat. The guy works hard.

These restorations are not just about saving historical homes and creating house museums. A key goal in both cases is to help youngsters develop their artistic talents at a time when many schools have cut back or eliminated arts programs. The Dick Van Dyke Foundation for the Performing Arts intends to “inspire the next generation of great performers.” The Walt Disney Birthplace project includes The Center for Early Childhood Creativity and Innovation, “dedicated to inspiring future generations of dreamers and doers.”

Sunday, June 26, 2016 was a big day for both organizations. Earlier in the day, Creativity Days at the Walt Disney Birthplace was a free street celebration that drew vistors from the neighborhood and from far away. That evening, a fundraising event, A Night of Magic With Dick Van Dyke, sold out the 1,012-seat Tivoli Theater in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.

Dick Van Dyke was at both events—as the surprise guest at the former and the star of the latter.

I hope you enjoy these photos.

, Curator of Yesterland, July 1, 2016

Dick Van Dyke was born December 13, 1925, in West Plains, Missouri, but grew up in Danville, Illinois. Do the math. He’s now 90 years old. You’d never guess that if you watch him perform.

Photo courtesy of the Dick Van Dyke Foundation

Dick Van Dyke visiting his boyhood home in Danville, June 23, 2016

The city of Danville, Illinois had plans to demolish an abandoned house at 930 N. Hazel Street—not realizing that the city’s most notable citizen ever, legendary entertainer Dick Van Dyke, had grown up there, along with younger brother, comedian and actor Jerry Van Dyke.

When Dick Van Dyke learned of this, the plans changed from demolition to restoration. The house is in awful condition, but its future looks much brighter.

A few days before the June 26 events in Chicagoland, Van Dyke visited Danville and even performed at Danville High School.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

The Walt Disney Birthplace on Tripp Ave. in Chicago

The past few years, the Walt Disney Birthplace has held events in the street in front of the house celebrating the birth of Walt Disney on December 5, 1901. There’s just one problem with that—Chicago can be mighty cold that time of year. This year, Creativity Days at the Walt Disney Birthplace took place on the Sunday after the anniversary of the birth of Walt’s brother and business partner Roy O. Disney, who was born on June 24, 1893.

The house—built by Walt’s father Elias Disney from plans drawn up by Walt’s mother Flora Disney—was home to the Disney family from 1893 to 1906. When the family moved in, they had two sons, Herbert and Raymond. Three more Disney children would be born in the house—Roy, Walt, and Ruth. Its restored exterior now looks terrific, but that’s just the first step.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Dick Van Dyke, his wife Arlene Silver, and Todd Regan on the front porch of the Walt Disney Birthplace

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Dick Van Dyke, lending his support to The Walt Disney Birthplace

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

A ride at GroveFest, with the theater marquee in the background

The next stop for Van Dyke was the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove, Illinois for a sold-out fundraiser. There’s usually plenty of convenient parking near the Tivoli, but it was the final day of the town’s annual GroveFest. Carnival rides occupied the parking lots and nearby streets. Although guests had to allow extra time for parking, it gave the performance a festive setting.

The publicity had promised, “Dick will speak and answer questions about his AMAZING career. And then the stage will come alive with a special performance!” It seemed that Van Dyke might talk for an hour or so, and then there might be some music. The evening delivered far more than it promised.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Tivoli Theater

Opened in 1928, the historic Tivoli Theater was the second movie house in the United States built for “talkies”—not built earlier and then retrofitted with sound equipment. During the show, Van Dyke pointed out that he is three years older than the Tivoli.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Replica of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Another view of the replica car

A gorgeous replica of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was parked outside the Tivoli. Lovingly hand-built by area resident Mat Klemp, the car looks just like the one in the 1968 movie starring Dick Van Dyke.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

All seats filled

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Organist David Rhodes playing the Tivoli’s magnificent Wurlitzer pipe organ

The left half of the Tivoli’s stage and the adjacent floor were covered with protective plastic. It soon became apparent why. As organist David Rhodes provided fast, dramatic music, Danville artist John Jansky attacked an empty canvas.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Speed artist John Jansky

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Organist David Rhodes accompanying John Jansky

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

John Jansky, minutes after he started the painting

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Finished painting, ready to be auctioned off

As Jansky made quick strokes with brightly colored paint—and paint splatters went flying—what first appeared to be an abstract work turned out to be an upside-down painting of Van Dyke as Bert from the Jolly Holiday sequence of Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964). The whole thing was remarkable—not just because it was so much fun to watch, but also because the painting turned out so well.

It was a great start to a great show.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix

We were promised Dick Van Dyke, but we also got his whole a cappella group.

The Vantastix, with Van Dyke doing the lead vocals, performed a surprisingly long concert, including “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Put on a Happy Face,” and even the theme song from The Dick Van Dyke Show—with lyrics! And, yes, Van Dyke even danced.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Questions and answers, with Van Dyke’s wife Arlene Silver

After the main concert, Van Dyke’s wife, Arlene Silver, asked questions, eliciting humorous responses from her husband. She gave a spot-on performance of Edith Bunker doing the All In the Family theme song.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Artist Shane Grammer

As the show wound down, emcee Todd Regan (who could be a professional emcee if he didn’t already have so many other jobs) auctioned off the Jansky painting and a painting by theme park creative professional Shane Grammer, and encouraged the audience to donate on their cell phones, and ended the show with an encore performance by the Vantastix, joined by Arlene Silver.

Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016

Vantastix with Arlene Silver

Not surprisingly, the evening ended with a standing ovation.

The best word to describe the whole day is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Have you visited the official website of The Walt Disney Birthplace? It’s well worth visiting. While you’re there, click on the Contribution/Gift Shoppe link in the upper left corner.

The Walt Disney Birthplace

Most Yesterland readers missed the show at the Tivoli. But everyone can enjoy the CD, Put On A Happy Face. It’s a CD for the whole family. Click on the Amazon link below.

Also, check out a new book by Dick Van Dyke, Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging. From the description: “Show-business legend Dick Van Dyke is living proof that life does get better the longer you live it. Who better to offer instruction, advice, and humor than someone who’s entering his ninth decade with a jaunty two-step?” (Actually, he’s entered his tenth decade because his first decade was the decade from age zero to nine.)

Finally, there’s Dick Van Dyke’s 2011 bestseller, My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business: A Memoir. Click on the Amazon link below to learn more. In addition to the paperback, there’s a Kindle version and a hardcover. Amazon currently has used copies at very low prices.

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Updated December 9, 2016.