In 1964, Disney released a family musical that introduced the world to the classic character Mary Poppins. Though the nanny who flies with an umbrella is the titular character, another lovable character shined just as bright: Bert.
Bert, played by Dick van Dyke, was a jack-of-all-trades. He was a street musician, sidewalk chalk artist, chimney sweep, and kite seller. In the film, he acts as Mary’s closest friend and confidant and is totally used to her magic.
One of the most famous scenes from the film is where all of the characters get sucked up the chimney into the world of silhouetted roofs and moonbeams.
Bert and his other chimney sweep friends delight the children by dancing across the rooftops. Of course, Mary gets in on the action and has quite a lot of moves and spins in the scene as well.
In this live performance, Derek Hough plays the role of Bert in a stage recreation of “Step in Time.” He and his cast of sweeps dance across the stage with black spidery chimney brooms.
Toward the end of the number, a door is opened, and out steps Dick van Dyke. The crowd absolutely loses it and goes wild with applause. Van Dyke does a few steps for the final notes of the song.
For his brief time on stage, the entire audience stands, so excited to see the actor on a stage having anything to do with Mary Poppins. Derek Hough introduces Dick van Dyke at the end, but it’s clear this audience is very aware of who he is. He made their night.
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