Pokémon Live!

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Pokémon Live!
Gotta catch 'em

Cover of the cast recording CD release of the show.

Pokémon Live! was a musical stage show that toured the United States from September 2000 to January 2001.[1][2] Plans for some 2002 performances in the United Kingdom were also made,[3][4] but later canceled.[5] The musical was based on the Pokémon anime series, using similar characters, clothing, and story elements. Approximately 90 minutes in length,[6] it told the story of Ash Ketchum, Misty and Brock as they travel to a contest to win the much sought-after Diamond Badge. The event turns out to be part of a plan by the evil organization Team Rocket and its diabolic leader Giovanni to take over the world. The music of the show consisted of songs previously released on the Pokémon anime soundtracks Pokémon 2BA Master and Totally Pokémon, as well as new songs.

The show was successful, but it was largely ignored by critics.[2][7] It has never received a video release, even though Pokémon's official site contained a statement for quite some time implying that such a release would appear.[8] A cast recording CD of the show, however, had a limited release.[9]

A Portuguese version of the show, produced by television company SIC, was performed from March 21 to March 27, 2002 at the Pavilhão Atlântico in Lisbon.[citation needed] Amateur video clips of one of these performances, made by someone who attended the show, were released on YouTube in June 2008. Since 2013, they have all been deleted. [10] A Dutch adaptation of the musical was performed on April 6 and 7, 2002, at the Sportpaleis in Belgium.[11][12]

A video of the original tour was uploaded to YouTube in January 2012 by Chris Mitchell, the Production Stage Manager for the tour. It is broken into seven parts: Pokémon Live! Part 01 of 07, Pokémon Live! 02 of 07, etc.

Plot synopsis

The following synopsis is based on a summary from a fan site,[13] with additional information derived from pages of the show's script made public by Nintendo,[14] the show's cast recording, and amateur video clips made by someone who attended a Portuguese translation of the show.[10]

Act I

The story begins with Ash declining on joining his mother Delia, and Professor Oak to a lecture on Snorlax behaviors, because he has plans of his own today. A mysterious Gym Leader is inviting trainers to battle him for the one-of-a-kind Diamond Badge, and Ash has decided to accept the challenge. As he prepares for the journey, Misty chastises him for not taking her to the movies for her birthday as promised three weeks ago. Ash promises to make it up to her somehow, insisting that his friends are as important to him as his Pokémon ("You and Me and Pokémon").

Meanwhile, several trainers face off with the mysterious Gym Leader, but fail to win against his robotic super-Pokémon, MechaMew2, which copies the attack of its challengers and uses it against them. After the trainers leave in defeat, the Gym Leader reveals himself to be Giovanni—the leader of Team Rocket—as he gloats about his MechaMew2. The mechanical monster—based on the powerful Mewtwo he had late in the anime's first season and Pokémon: The First Movie—will soon be unstoppable ("It Will All Be Mine"). He orders Jessie, James, and Meowth to capture Ash's Pikachu, because it has Thundershock and Thunderbolt, the last two techniques that MechaMew2 doesn't have.

Jessie, James, and Meowth rush to the forest and dig a pitfall trap for "the twerps" to fall into, but Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu walk right over it without incident because the Rockets forgot to remove the supports ("My Best Friends"). To their misfortune, Jessie and James only realize the cause when they pull out the supports and fall into their own trap, leaving a frustrated Meowth to run off for rope to pull them out.

In the meantime, Delia and Professor Oak approach the old, run-down building where the Snorlax lecture is supposed to be held. After Delia confesses that she feels that she is losing touch with her son, the Professor reassures her by saying that things never stay the same for long ("Everything Changes"). Suddenly, several Rocket Grunts rush out of the shadows and surround them, divulging that the lecture invitation bait to lure Professor Oak into a trap set by Giovanni. When the Boss also recognizes Delia, she insists that anything between them was in the past, to which Giovanni remarks that she has changed as well ("Everything Changes (Reprise 1)").

In the forest, Ash and company are lost and alone after Brock earlier threw the map in the river while asking a female trainer for directions. They try getting help from a deaf trainer, who agrees to share his map on the condition that he and "the guy with the weird hair" have a battle first. Ash agrees to this, but the deaf trainer sends out Jigglypuff, who instantly starts singing and puts everyone but its trainer to sleep. In spite of this, the deaf trainer leaves his map with the trio as Jigglypuff draws on their faces. Afterwards, Misty wakes up and starts wiping Jigglypuff's marks off of Ash's face while singing about her secret feelings for him and her fear of rejection ("Misty's Song"). Ash and Brock soon wake up as well, with the former wondering aloud who was singing just now. Misty claims the song to have been an effect of Jigglypuff's song, and the trio continue on to the next part of the path.

Meanwhile, Meowth gets Jessie and James—who have also fallen asleep from Jigglypuff's song—out of the pit while complaining about their incompetence. Realizing that Meowth is right, Jessie and James lament their status as failures. Meowth cheers them up by telling them that being failures is something at which they're successful ("The Best at Being the Worst"). With that, the Rockets set out to find Pikachu again. Using their Magikarp submarine, they manage to catch up with the trainers at Cerulean Blue Lagoon, where Ash declares that he's going to use Pikachu against the gym leader ("Pikachu (I Choose You)"). While the kids get caught up in the song, Team Rocket uses a net to nab the rodent. By the time Ash realizes Pikachu is missing, Team Rocket is long gone.

Act II

A special Pokémon trading card depicting MechaMew2 that was released during the show's run.

After an intermission segment in which Ash's Pokédex Dexter explains his important contribution to Ash's continuing success ("What Kind of Pokémon Are You?"), the heroes return to the forest, with Ash positive that his favorite Pokémon has once again been kidnapped by Team Rocket ("The Time Has Come"). Misty, apparently still upset about being ignored on her birthday, suggests that maybe Pikachu has just left Ash of his own will because of the trainer's new habit of ignoring his friends. She runs after Brock, leaving Ash to ponder her words.

At the Gym, Giovanni boasts about his imminent success to Delia and Professor Oak, who are in the battle arena and locked inside giant cages ("You and Me and Pokémon (Reprise)"). After Giovanni leaves, Professor Oak asks Delia why the Rocket Boss recognized her. She explains that Giovanni is an old boyfriend from when she was a teenager and used to hang out with an unpleasant crowd. She never told this to Ash, she fearing that he would not understand. Soon after, Jessie, James, and Meowth arrive with the captured Pikachu ("Double Trouble"). Giovanni orders them to "challenge" MechaMew2, using Pikachu. They attempt to battle the robot, but Pikachu shocks the Rockets instead. The electricity causes the cages to break open, allowing Oak and Delia to escape. Giovanni is unconcerned with his prisoners' escape. He realize that Pikachu's trainer is necessary to make it battle, so he orders Jessie, James, and Meowth to bring Pikachu's trainer to him ("Double Trouble (Reprise)").

Meanwhile, as she and Brock search fruitlessly for Pikachu, Misty admits that she just wanted Ash to realize that he's alienating his friends, asking why some guys never notice girls. Brock responds by telling her it is different with him, especially when it comes to Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny ("Two Perfect Girls").

Ignoring Brock, Misty continues to lament over her feelings for Ash. Not far away, Delia and Professor Oak continue their discussion about her past and Delia's conflict over whether or not to tell it to Ash. Elsewhere, Ash tells himself that he may have to go on without Pikachu ("I've Got a Secret"). Soon, all five of them converge in the forest. Oak tells Ash that Giovanni is the mysterious gym leader, and he that has Pikachu in his hideout. Ash is furious, determined to get his Pokémon back and win the Diamond Badge. Delia quickly tells Ash of her past, while fearing what he will think of it. Ash proves her fear unfounded by understanding. Suddenly, Jessie and James appear on scooters, ordering Ash to come with them The team is utterly shocked when Ash agrees to join them calmly without a fight. As they leave, Ash's mom is surprised that her son understood her situation and doesn't think less of her because she had a bad past ("Everything Changes (Reprise 2)").

Jessie and James enter Giovanni's arena announcing their capture of Ash. The Rockets crash their scooters exiting after the Boss grows annoyed with them and orders them to leave. Joyfully reunited with Pikachu, Ash finally meets Giovanni face-to-face and prepares to battle for the Diamond Badge ("You Just Can't Win"). Giovanni mockingly gives Ash the badge before the battle, saying he'll retrieve it after Ash loses. Determined to win, Ash orders Pikachu to Thundershock, then Thunderbolt MechaMew2. With that, Giovanni proclaims his victory because his Pokémon has now learned every single attack. He orders MechaMew2 to attack Ash, but Mewtwo appears and attacks MechaMew2 with a collection of Ash's happy memories. MechaMew2 rebels against Giovanni, revealing that it just learned "love, friendship, and caring". No longer willing to carry out the Boss's evil plan, it prepares a Selfdestruct that destroys the building; Ash, Pikachu, Mewtwo, and even Giovanni (as shown by the curtain call) manage to survive. Mewtwo exits, but not before explaining to Ash that it took the trainer's memories and love to defeat MechaMew2. Ash's friends come in, asking for an explanation of the recent events. Reaching into his pocket, Ash pulls out the Diamond Badge, saying that he won after all. He gives the badge to Misty as her birthday present while everybody else celebrates his triumph ("Finale").

Musical numbers

Act I
  1. You & Me & Pokémon — Ash, Misty, and Brock
  2. You & Me & Pokémon (Playoff)
  3. It Will All Be Mine — Giovanni
  4. It Will All Be Mine (Reprise) — Giovanni
  5. My Best Friends — Ash, Misty, and Brock
  6. Everything Changes — Professor Oak and Delia Ketchum
  7. Everything Changes (Reprise 1) — Giovanni
  8. Misty's Song — Misty
  9. The Best at Being the Worst — Team Rocket
  10. Pikachu (I Choose You) — Ash
Act II
  1. What Kind of Pokémon Are You? — Dexter and the Dextettes
  2. The Time Has Come — Ash
  3. You and Me and Pokémon (Reprise) — Giovanni
  4. Double Trouble — Team Rocket
  5. Double Trouble (Reprise) — Team Rocket
  6. Two Perfect Girls — Brock
  7. I've Got a Secret — Delia Ketchum, Misty, and Ash
  8. Everything Changes (Reprise 2) — Delia Ketchum
  9. You Just Can't Win — Ash and Giovanni
  10. Finale — Company

Most of the musical numbers are remakes of songs previously released on the soundtracks Pokémon 2BA Master and Totally Pokémon. Four songs, “It Will All Be Mine”, “The Best at Being the Worst”, “I've Got a Secret”, and “You Just Can't Win”, are original songs. “Finale” is a fusion of “You & Me & Pokémon” and “My Best Friends”.

Original cast

Of the cast, several members have reached stardom in their own right on the Broadway stage. Rannells played Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray, while Kling had a brief reunion with Rannells. Dennis Kenney performed the Role of the Grinch in the Musical How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Madison Square Garden. Nolfi and Rannells have been part of the cast of Jersey Boys on Broadway, while Roscoli has also performed on the Broadway stage (as well as floated above it) as Elphaba in Wicked not only in New York, but in Chicago and on tour as well. In 2011, Rannells was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical for his role in The Book of Mormon.

References

  1. ↑ Nintendo. "Pokémon Live!". Pokémon World. Archived from the original on 2000-10-15. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Skertic, Mark (2001-01-14). "'Pokemon Live' thrills fans". Chicago Sun-Times (HighBeam Research). 
  3. ↑ "Psythor" (2002-01-29). "Pokémon Live show is coming to the UK!". Pokémon UK. Archived from the original on 2002-11-14. 
  4. ↑ "Psythor" (2002-04-28). "Pokémon Live: Delayed!". Pokémon UK. Archived from the original on 2002-10-13. 
  5. ↑ "Psythor" (2002-10-17). "Pokémon Live cancelled for good!". Pokémon UK. Archived from the original on 2003-01-04. 
  6. ↑ "Entertainment Editors" (2000-06-19). "Pokemon Fever to Hit Theater and Arena Stages Across North America in Fall 2000". Business Wire. FindArticles. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Arnold, Andrew (2000-09-21). "'Pokemon Live!' Guides Us Into 21st-Century Theater". Time. 
  8. ↑ Internet Archive Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ "Pokemon Live! Original Cast Album". Amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-10. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "CreanerX". "Playlist: Pokémon Live!". YouTube. Retrieved 2008-07-28. 
  11. ↑ "Pokémon Live!". Pokemon Paranoia. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12. 
  12. ↑ Project Magic. "Bezoek Pokémon Live.". Archived from the original on 2008-03-31. 
  13. ↑ Nader, Mandy. "Pokemon Live! synopsis". TRsRockin.com. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. 
  14. ↑ ACT I — SCENE 2, ACT I — SCENE 8, and ACT II — SCENE 2

External links

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