Eye of the Tiger

Karina here - and in a moment you will understand why I am writing this on my own, instead of with my partner in crime, Tamsin. Though chances are she will chip in. And I have a sneaky suspicion she will absolutely, definitely not let this particular wee event pass without joining me.

Anyway.

One of my guiltiest of guilty secrets is...I love Rocky films. Always have done. Ever since I saw the first one I was hooked. By the time the fourth one came out I was in love with Dolph Lundgren (Ivan Drago, to the un-initiated) and actually saw him jogging in Hyde Park with his bodyguard (not that he needed one - he was HUGE. And rather stunning. In those days and through my teenage eyes. Maybe you had to be there. I digress.) and knew every single film off by heart. I knew the lines (all together now: AAADRIIAAAAAAAN!!!!), I booed Clubber Lang, found Paulie irritating, Adrian a bit of a wet blanket, Mickey was my hero and I cried when he died and Rocky!! He fought his way up and achieved everything with gritty determination, including the end to the Cold War!!!!  I sang along with gusto to Eye of the Tiger. I was very young (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it). I once had an opportunity to go to Philadelphia and yes, I ran (OK, I lurched, puffed, panted, wheezed, sweated and collapsed) up the same staircase Rocky ran up when he was doing that brilliant training sequence (...Trying hard now...getting strong now...gonna fly now...) and...and...oh, I hated Rocky 5. But we can forgive Sylvester Stallone that one.

Why am I telling you this? You might have heard by now that the amazing, brilliant, superb remarkable DREW SARICH is to play the lead in ROCKY THE MUSICAL!!!!!! To say all my Christmas's and birthday's have come at once is something of an understatement. So it'll be in German. Tamsin and I have experienced the German language musical and survived to tell the tale. It'll be in Hamburg. Time to arrange a visit to the Christmas Markets over there, maybe...? So we need to get saving. My point being: what's not to love???

The whole thought of Rocky the Musical warms the cockles of my heart and puts a smile on my face. All this coming from a pacifist who hates fighting in any way, shape and form (including boxing) but for some reason LOVES Rocky. Maybe it's the 'underdog does good' story. Maybe it's the thought of Drew Sarich in shorts and a bare chest. Maybe this snippet of news has just made my year!!!

Yo! Adriaaaan!!! I'm off to watch my Rocky box set again...

P.S. Word is also out that Drew Sarich is singing the part of The American in a concert performance of Chess in New York shortly. Cue big, blobby fairy tears, as we always fantasised about Drew doing Chess and now that he is we are a) Working and can't take time off and b) Can't bloody afford a sudden dash to The Big Apple. Although we did look at ticket and flight prices. Imagine Drew singing 'Pity the Child'! Imagine if he was singing the part of The Russian, he'd be singing 'Anthem' (Fairies are coming over all unnecessary at the very thought)!!! Dear Drew Sarich. Just a teeny weeny request. Maybe you could sing 'Chess' in London next? Or at the very least somewhere on the European Continent? Pretty please???