Dick Van Dyke just missed a comedy event.
The 99-year-old actor, who is impeccably carrying on his career despite his age was scheduled to host Vandy Camp alongside his wife, Arlene Silver, at the Arlene & Dick Van Dyke Theater at Malibu High School.
As per PEOPLE magazine, after Van Dyke dropped out last minute, Arlene appeared on stage and introduced herself to the crowd as “not the Van Dyke you’re expecting.”
“I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I’m sorry,” she added.
Arlene continued, “When you’re 99 and a half years old, you have good days and bad days … and unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he’s sick that he can’t be here.”
However, she was “pretty confident” that her husband would recover and be present “in person” at the next Vandy Camp.
Moving forward in her speech, Arlene also detailed the love Van Dyke holds for Vandy Camp, and how the event is more than “just Dick Van Dyke.”
“It is a celebration of your childhood, all of our childhoods, the music that’s in the fabric of all of us, [and] Dick Van Dyke is a big part of that,” she told the audience.
Deeming her partner’s fanbase as “the greatest human beings I’ve ever known,” Arlene added, “These Vandy Camp [events] are a wonderful opportunity to have you all in the same room and meet each other.”
The 53-year-old makeup artist also mentioned how “being around” Van Dyke “just as a human being has made me a better person.”
“I would never be able to do this maybe, like, a year ago, but I’ve had so many experiences pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and right now I’m out of my comfort zone,” she explained.
According to a press release, the annual Vandy Camp event sees Dick Van Dyke and Arlene Silver work with their musical group to pay ode to “passion for comedy, vaudeville and the circus.”
