It's so sad seeing those puppets abandoned. My first thought when the video started was "I wonder if any of the original puppets or costumes were preserved?"
Another fun fact: this is the only other time the original dub voice of Mewtwo, Jay Goede, reprised his role as all other appearances have been redone by Dan Green. In fact, it’s thanks to the pamphlet for Live that his real name was revealed as he used an alias in the Mewtwo Strikes Back credits.
Funnily enough, Andrew also went on to portray a few other Pokémon characters in the dub such as Morty and Harley. He never portrayed the Pokémon themselves, so I guess he kept that standard.
Can I just applaud you for the amount of footage you were able to source just in that opening alone. As always, what a masterful edit, Faux. Killin' it at every turn!
From the bottom of my heart thank you all so much for watching! Please be sure to let me know what you think here in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more content like this!
for all the sillyness of this musical, it means the world to me. :,) it makes me so so sad that we didn’t get the professionally shot version ahh watching it in such low quality is so sad
This was such a well made documentary! As someone who saw and experienced this live when it debuted at Radio City Music Hall when I was a wee little 4 year old that just started preschool (my older sister, who was 7 at the time, begged our parents to take us to go see it), it almost felt like a fever dream. And yes, I vividly remember getting one of those PokeBall baseball bat-like flashlights, but unfortunately, we had to throw it away during a cleaning house/basement session :c it feels really surreal looking back and seeing this and how big PokeMania was in the late 90's-early 2000's, and your way of portraying it really got me nostalgic and interested throughout! This video really deserves more views and traction, and I really hope the UA-cam algorithm can catch on and see this in the next couple of months! Wonderful job! ♥️✨ PS, but I laughed at that psychologist lady at the beginning saying how Pokemon is "violent" and how kids "shouldn't be watching it", as if the 90's didn't get that enough with certain other controversies/concerns related to their cartoons like The Simpsons or Beavis and Butt-Head xD proof comes to show that people will react towards anything to get a quick buck.
Wow. I found this through a deep-dive of andrew rannells's career for a project I have to do for my theatre class, but I just had to watch this whole video. This was incredible. Very high quality content, much better than I was expecting- and really detailed. For such an obscure production, you really found every single bit of information that exists. And TBH, I don't blame Andrew Rannells or Heid Weyhmueller for crying backstage. As an actor, if I was subject to that amount of embarrassing stagework, I'd be crying with them LOL.
Found this through looking up info on Andrew Rannells, was absolutely delighted by what I learned. HUGE enjoyment watching as both a Broadway fan and a Pokémon fan
Regarding Pikachu's Voice. It makes perfect sense that they'd be very specific with how his lines would be done. Believe it or not, Pikachu has a Language thatbif you pay attention closely to you can sort of understand. For Example "Pika pi" means Satoshi "Pikachu pi" means Misty.
Wow! What a amazing documentary and a great find after all these years. I was lucky enough to see this back in 2000 live at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis when it toured the US. I was 13 then and always thought they would have someday released it on film or dvd because I remember there were so many crew members from the show recording down on the ground floor with computers. Back then it was just something amazing seeing it live and the large Pokédexs on each side of the stage showing scenes from the anime throughout the show made it feel so emotional. Definitely loved Jessi and James is this! Misty’s song was also very touching to see especially with all the Water Pokémon swimming in the air behind her as she sung and the Butterfrees flying too It was the first show I saw live near around the same time when I got to see Cats and it definitely got me into musicals more. Pokémon too, even now I’m still a Pokefan. Been seeing these videos on here now and it’s great to re-see the show again.
this is gonna be the thing I re-listen to for the next week at least. Really good work. I was born in the early 90's but didn't hear about the musical until around 2010. I was never able to find much on it but you did some real digging.
I always found Andrew Rannells comments on James very... interesting. James may be flamboyant and over the top, but you could say the same about Jessie, and there's really no hints or allusions to his sexuality in the show (the very few we've gotten have shown him being attracted to women). What's even more perplexing is Rannells would go on to play Harley from Pokemon during the Advanced series, and if James was flamboyant, Harley was even moreso, and possibly even a tad stereotypical himself. Yet he's never said anything about that character portrayal. Anyways, this was a great retrospective you put together, dude! I can tell a lot of time went into the research and you gave a great presentation to boot. I wish Pokemon would be crazy enough to try another Live production again. If anyone could make it great, they could!
Thank you so much! And honestly YES I wish they would go for it with a high-production stage show like this again. I doubt it would happen, but still! On James, I would tend to agree that I never myself viewed him as a stereotype, but I think that comes with the perspective and bias of being a fan as a kid who watched like, EVERY episode of the show. Rannells could've have easily turned on the TV to a random episode where Team Rocket was being particularly over the top which could color his initial impression. I think it's a valid read then knowing it was most likely based off a single episode as opposed to having the context of at least multiple episodes with the character.
@@FauxRetro Yeah, I can see that. I'm sure he had more important things on his mind than getting to the hidden depths of the characters, and an adult with very little knowledge of the source material could be one to assume. Still, I'd love to hear what he thought about voicing Harley (if he even remembers doing that haha).
I think it's less about James's actual sexuality and more about the way he's portrayed. I kind of always assumed he was gay as a kid because he was very flamboyant, but even if he wasn't he still perpetuates the effeminate male/gay villain stereotype. As for the stage production, I understand Andrew's grievances with being indirectly asked to "act gayer". It's kind of similar to how directors ask actors of color to act more "Black" or "Asian" etc. when they're playing racially stereotypical roles; it's never explicitly said but the sentiment is clear. Not to mention the absurdity of a don't ask don't tell joke in a show primarily for kids 💀
I understand your point. I think Rannells mostly meant about how James was very flamboyant and had an overly dramatic voice at the very start of the show, making him resemble a stereotypically gay character in a sitcom without being necessarily gay. I also believe that the reason he hasn't talked about the Harley portrayal is because he doesn't really go into specifics with his voice acting work in general, and because James is a far more prominent character, one that any Pokémon fan would recognize and know about, which he was originating in a musical, which he centered his career on at the time (still now a bit). Basically, I think James was a much bigger deal overall. I do understand your point though, and I am just rambling here. I agree that the retrospective was great!
I'm absolutely stunned at the amount of work that has went into this. I am super into media preservation - especially things like this- and I had no idea that it was even a thing! Thanks so much for making this documentary, man. Super proud of what you do, and stoked for whatever you end up creating in the future. Cheers! 🔥
This was such a great documentary! As a Mexican kid who was obsessed with Pokemon, I am devastated I had never heard of the Mexico City one! Granted, around the time I lived a whole two and a half hour plane ride away, but I don't even remember watching it on TV! I am crushed, yet kinda glad cause those masks are horrifying. Thanks so so much for bringing this to light, Faux!
Thank you for watching! I mean masks aside, it's pretty nice that international productions like the one in Mexico are available in full on UA-cam at least!
Did you happen to come across anyone with the sheet music rehearsal score? YEARS ago the former stage manager sent me the production kit with script and backing tracks and even production elements, but the sheet music you can see in the original behind the scenes footage was nowhere to be found. As a theatre collector and composer who is also a millennial, “the lost sheet music score to Pokémon Live” is one of my white whale items.
@@heidiweyhmueller1649 thanks for the clarification! It’s probably safe to cross this item off the list of “theatre memorabilia that’s still out there.”
Pikachu is the furby of 1999 😆 what a sentence. great work, Faux, be proud and don't apologize for being proud, you went all out and put so much hard work into this, and its amazing. Take a breather, relax, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. You deserve a lot of praise for what you've achieved. 🤘 keep going. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Bravo!
Yes! He originated the lead role of Elder Price when the musical opened on Broadway in 2011, and went on to play it since 2012. He got a tony nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical (alongside his costar, Josh Gad, who went on to be Olaf in Frozen ironically) and performed his solo "I Believe" at the Tony Awards! If you're interested at all, the 65th Tony Awards are fully available on youtube. really recommend checking it out.
This is so fantastic, you have no idea how perfect this timing was. At work me and my friends were playing "2.B. A Master" in full going stupid hard in the kitchen and then I blurt out "you know, there was a Pokémon Live back in 2000 and they played these songs". But I had never watched it. I just remembered the commercials for it on Pokémon tapes. So I went home and found the restored footage and was completely blown away of how good and respectful this production was and this video was recommended after. The perfect double feature. I also wanted to find video essays on Pokémania and BTS of 4Kids marketing of Pokémon, so this video fulfilled two cravings in one. Bravo good sir. Bravo.
The fact this musical even exists, and the Pokemania from back in the day actually makes sense, because IMO, the Pokemon anime was the right anime at the right time. Think about it: In the 1990s, in the west, the time of Gigantors and Speed Racers was long over, and perception of anime was changing to that of a teens-and-adults only zone, a lot of the stuff being imported was aimed at older audiences (I.E. Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Macross Plus, Martian Successor Nadesico, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Princess Mononoke etc.), and the stuff airing on TV was very much clearly intended for tweens despite kid appeal and ridiculous censorship (Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z). So, when Nintendo bought over not just the Pokemon games, but also the anime, the show wound up proving to western viewers that anime can still be genuinely aimed at children and also retain the immense creativity the big boy stuff featured, and so views of the show drove sales for the games, sales of the games drove interest and views in the anime and the end result took the west by storm. Pokemon was bought over at the right time, and I think it's this fact that kicked off the Pokefever of the late-1990s, and lead to Pokemon Live becoming a thing. At least those are my thoughts on the matter.
This was quite an interesting video, from the production, to the hurdles the actors had to endure on stage and backstage, and the international viewings of the show. Although, I really hope those leftover Pokémon props in the abandoned theatre are found and at least sold so that they’re preserved for others to enjoy.
Having been an extra for 10 days in a local musical, my respect for the craft has only grown, from exhaustive rehearsals to the final preformance, I cherish every moment that I had, and if I have a chance I would do it again.
I remember seeing the promo for Pokemon Live on the VHS Tape of Pokemon the First movie. I of course you know. Experiencing Pokemainia wanted to see it, but they weren't coming to Vegas from what I remember so I ended up forgetting about it. Years later I am browsing youtube and suddenly I see "Pokemon Live!" My jaw dropped open lol. it's been a while since I watched the show on youtube, but I was blown away by the cast. Specially Jessie and James.
One other fun fact regarding the original songs for Pokémon Live: four of them were featured in the ending credits for the dub of the 5th Pokémon movie, Heroes Latios and Latias. These were You & Me & Pokémon, Pikachu I Choose You, The Time Has Come (Pikachu’s Goodbye) and the finale version of My Best Friends. With the exception of Pikachu, I Choose You, all of them were the Pokémon Live versions and not the Totally Pokémon versions seen in the Johto seasons.
Amazing video! its kind of insane how much is actually known about the making of this, considering how obscure this is. (And if patterrz ever reacts to this, I submitted it)
I haven't finished it yet, I'm about more than halfway through but I had to chime in - amazing work, extremely thorough, and a fantastic conclusion to the interest that spread around by channels like Chadtronic and I'm sure others. Here's to massive growth of your channel.
pokemon live was a show i discovered back in 2016 when i was about 8-9 years old. it enticed me immediately and i learnt all the lyrics to every song. i was pretty upset to find not many people knew about the production, even as a child. looking back at this show at 17, it’s no way near a perfect production, but it will aways have that special place in my heart. i’ve grown to love theatre so learning everything i can about this musical is pretty high on my list. it’s truly upsetting to see such an obscure piece of pokemon history left to become lost media, especially with songs such as it will all be mine and i’ve got a secret to forever be unreleased to streaming. i really wish the soundtrack was released on streaming services - despite the show being partially a jukebox musical - or were to have an official cd release. you can probably count on one hand how many times the cd has popped up on auction sites within the last 10 years and that’s so upsetting. this video was amazing and it’s great to see other people so fond of this performance. thank you for helping perceive the history of this show
I thought I was a Pokemon Master but this has opened my eyes! Congrats on such an amazing video and work of art! Always Excited for more! I'm gonna enjoy this quite a few more times.
What a fascinating look into a brief part of the best selling media entity ever tht 99% of fans have no idea exists. I've watched the show on UA-cam before (and on Twitch in some very fun watch parties) but learning about all these background details is so interesting. I'm also from a tiny European country where Pokemon didn't quite take off so seeing what was going on in the rest of the world during the height is also so so fascinating. One funny little thing I noticed from the footage of the Dubai showing is that Misty and Jessie's outfits are a lot more censored, Misty's shorts are longer and baggier and her t-shirt is longer to not show her midriff, Jessie wears black stockings and her top also covers her midriff now, classic Dubai.
@@FauxRetro Definitely a good goal. It's such a shame a proper home video was never released so we're left with these rather low quality and dark recordings and seeing those old puppets collecting dust abandoned was a little bit heartbreaking even. More attention to this unique piece of Pokemon history is definitely needed.
What a trip.Would've loved to see something like this as a kid, to be fair. Thanks for putting this together. Insane amount of research, in such a well put together presentation ~
This is amazing! I watched the whole thing straight through. All your work is so impressive and it's a fascinating watch. I was delighted by Pokemon Live in spite of its silliness and cheesiness when I watched the video in 2017.
@@Tylersingh2003or maybe make a new pokemon show which is based on one of the best tv shows by the jim henson company, Jim Henson's the amazing world of Satoshi Tajiri with performers dressed like pokemon, the hosts are 5 pokemon trainers, the costumed pikachu, eevee, lilligant and Heliolisk and the character from native man Cubnub the Cheetah
Also, Ikue Otani WAS in Detective Pikachu, voicing the bits where Pikachu was in a non-talking state. Also, according to a production member, Otani actually visited rehearsals at one point, so that was nice. And I believe that Maddie Blaustein was present at the first showing.
I do feel like Mig Ayesa deserved a bit of a shoutout in the “Where are they now” section for being a finalist on Rock Star: INXS. He’s actually doing vocals for an orchestral INXS tribute concert later this year, so he’s still busy.
"Is your dad a Snorlax, or a Gastly?" Uhhhh....am I crazy or are they effectively asking kids, "Is your dad lazy/morbidly obese or dead/absent from your life?" What the actual hell!?
This was so much fun to watch, you really went all out mate. Like with the R&C doco I'll be showing this to a few friends to help you get the watch time you deserve!
43:53 well, I guess that would make Ash and Silver half brothers (even though the later hasn’t been used properly in the anime besides a brief cameo in the Gold/Ethan/Jimmy OVA)
Just finished watching this at work man, you did a f’ing fantastic job making this. For something I never knew even existed even with living in New York my whole life, and even a fan of musicals, this was a treat to watch from start to finish. ❤️ Here’s to hoping we get that professionally shot version of Pokémon Live unearthed on day! Side note, I’ve been listening to the 2.B A Master album multiple times today and it’s all your fault. 🤨
Fun fact, the original draft did have Geo being Ash’s dad but for some reason 4 kids rejected it. So they added some additional lines to showcase that Geo isn’t Ash’s father.
This was such a blast to watch, thank you! You presented amazing information on something I never knew existed, you have this sincere tone of being entertaining and informative, and I can tell you had worked so hard on this! Amazing job
It's weird, despite being a massive Pokémon fan at the time, I never heard about this show until it was long gone, about 5 years later. Information about it at the time was close to zero. I never thought I'd ever be able to watch it. You'd think I would have seen a TV commercial about it, but nope. I'm not sure they advertised it in my area.
I haven't experienced the musical performance of Pokémon but enjoyed the TV show and some games, even I'm not an American. It's a very rare piece for the franchise and needs to be preserved.
I recently stumbled onto the TV Tropes page for this musical, and I immediately knew that I needed to see it. James being confirmed queer (which is VERY exciting to me as a queer woman, though I understand the concerns the actor had) and Giovanni having slept with Ash's mom (the most devastating thing you can say to a 10-12 year old and it's actually TRUE in this case?? Hilarious) were the two major reasons I decided to watch it (via the stage manager's bootleg) with my friends. I'm a big fan of campy ridiculousness and even though I could barely see the characters, it was perfect. It made me so happy and I can't stop thinking about it.
I was honestly surprised that somebody who was in Pokemon Live and Yu-Gi-Oh actually did voice work in one of the absolute greatest shows PBS has ever aired/produced in my eyes (alongside The Magic School Bus and Arthur the Aardvark): Liberty's Kids. Seriously, that show is so criminally underrated! I personally believe that it truly doesn't get the love and respect that it deserves. If you haven't watched the entirety of Liberty's Kids already, then I highly recommend you go do so. As of me writing this, all 40 episodes of the show are up right here on UA-cam officially for free! So, there's absolutely no excuse to not watch it in its entirety!
It's from the video "Writing Pokémon Live!: Nintendo's Forgotten Musical" from Game Informer's UA-cam channel. I had accidentally forgotten to include a link in the video description but it's there now!
ikue otani was in detective pikachu...she was the voice for pikachu when he and tim were going down the alley and detective pikachu explains how no one else can hear him speak other than saying pika pika
Ah yes. Cats. That utter and complete piece of shit that was only popular because idiot critics who unfortunately had clout said was good. Since the broadway audiences of the time lacked the intelligence to use a computer they couldn’t share their actual opinions about what they really felt about how stupid it was, and those initial positive reviews remained cemented until the movie showed everyone what utter trash it was.
I watched a very shitty recording of the Musical a few years ago. Appearently it was the last full recording and was uploaded by the Producer himself, because he thought it was worth preserving. So, the Camera was not very good und pretty far away, I could barely make out the characters, everything was overlit. However, I watched the whole show, beginning to end. It wasn't Shakespeare, of course, but it was pretty good.
It's so sad seeing those puppets abandoned. My first thought when the video started was "I wonder if any of the original puppets or costumes were preserved?"
We can only hope! Its such a shame to see them in such disrepair.
Another fun fact: this is the only other time the original dub voice of Mewtwo, Jay Goede, reprised his role as all other appearances have been redone by Dan Green. In fact, it’s thanks to the pamphlet for Live that his real name was revealed as he used an alias in the Mewtwo Strikes Back credits.
I can’t believe this video hasn’t gone viral. This is definitely early Pokémon history. Holy smokes awesome job.
Thank you! I would love more people to learn about this so hopefully people will discover the video!
Psyduck made this whole production worth it.
An icon
Funnily enough, Andrew also went on to portray a few other Pokémon characters in the dub such as Morty and Harley. He never portrayed the Pokémon themselves, so I guess he kept that standard.
Can I just applaud you for the amount of footage you were able to source just in that opening alone. As always, what a masterful edit, Faux. Killin' it at every turn!
Thanks so much, Otter!
From the bottom of my heart thank you all so much for watching! Please be sure to let me know what you think here in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe for more content like this!
Amazing video I wish I could I have seen this show in person now!
for all the sillyness of this musical, it means the world to me. :,) it makes me so so sad that we didn’t get the professionally shot version ahh watching it in such low quality is so sad
This was such a well made documentary! As someone who saw and experienced this live when it debuted at Radio City Music Hall when I was a wee little 4 year old that just started preschool (my older sister, who was 7 at the time, begged our parents to take us to go see it), it almost felt like a fever dream. And yes, I vividly remember getting one of those PokeBall baseball bat-like flashlights, but unfortunately, we had to throw it away during a cleaning house/basement session :c it feels really surreal looking back and seeing this and how big PokeMania was in the late 90's-early 2000's, and your way of portraying it really got me nostalgic and interested throughout! This video really deserves more views and traction, and I really hope the UA-cam algorithm can catch on and see this in the next couple of months! Wonderful job! ♥️✨
PS, but I laughed at that psychologist lady at the beginning saying how Pokemon is "violent" and how kids "shouldn't be watching it", as if the 90's didn't get that enough with certain other controversies/concerns related to their cartoons like The Simpsons or Beavis and Butt-Head xD proof comes to show that people will react towards anything to get a quick buck.
I actually laugh screamed over the large pikachu that stared into your soul edit
LOL listen those eyes are a bit creepy!
Wow. I found this through a deep-dive of andrew rannells's career for a project I have to do for my theatre class, but I just had to watch this whole video. This was incredible. Very high quality content, much better than I was expecting- and really detailed. For such an obscure production, you really found every single bit of information that exists.
And TBH, I don't blame Andrew Rannells or Heid Weyhmueller for crying backstage. As an actor, if I was subject to that amount of embarrassing stagework, I'd be crying with them LOL.
Found this through looking up info on Andrew Rannells, was absolutely delighted by what I learned. HUGE enjoyment watching as both a Broadway fan and a Pokémon fan
Thank you so much!
It's so hard to find good pokemon documentaries, but this was done so well! Great job!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Regarding Pikachu's Voice.
It makes perfect sense that they'd be very specific with how his lines would be done.
Believe it or not, Pikachu has a Language thatbif you pay attention closely to you can sort of understand.
For Example "Pika pi" means Satoshi
"Pikachu pi" means Misty.
i now know more about pokemon live! than i could ever have imagined
You're welcome for this very important knowledge.
Wow! What a amazing documentary and a great find after all these years.
I was lucky enough to see this back in 2000 live at the Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis when it toured the US. I was 13 then and always thought they would have someday released it on film or dvd because I remember there were so many crew members from the show recording down on the ground floor with computers.
Back then it was just something amazing seeing it live and the large Pokédexs on each side of the stage showing scenes from the anime throughout the show made it feel so emotional.
Definitely loved Jessi and James is this! Misty’s song was also very touching to see especially with all the Water Pokémon swimming in the air behind her as she sung and the Butterfrees flying too
It was the first show I saw live near around the same time when I got to see Cats and it definitely got me into musicals more. Pokémon too, even now I’m still a Pokefan. Been seeing these videos on here now and it’s great to re-see the show again.
this is gonna be the thing I re-listen to for the next week at least. Really good work.
I was born in the early 90's but didn't hear about the musical until around 2010. I was never able to find much on it but you did some real digging.
Thank you!
I always found Andrew Rannells comments on James very... interesting. James may be flamboyant and over the top, but you could say the same about Jessie, and there's really no hints or allusions to his sexuality in the show (the very few we've gotten have shown him being attracted to women). What's even more perplexing is Rannells would go on to play Harley from Pokemon during the Advanced series, and if James was flamboyant, Harley was even moreso, and possibly even a tad stereotypical himself. Yet he's never said anything about that character portrayal.
Anyways, this was a great retrospective you put together, dude! I can tell a lot of time went into the research and you gave a great presentation to boot. I wish Pokemon would be crazy enough to try another Live production again. If anyone could make it great, they could!
Thank you so much! And honestly YES I wish they would go for it with a high-production stage show like this again. I doubt it would happen, but still!
On James, I would tend to agree that I never myself viewed him as a stereotype, but I think that comes with the perspective and bias of being a fan as a kid who watched like, EVERY episode of the show. Rannells could've have easily turned on the TV to a random episode where Team Rocket was being particularly over the top which could color his initial impression. I think it's a valid read then knowing it was most likely based off a single episode as opposed to having the context of at least multiple episodes with the character.
@@FauxRetro Yeah, I can see that. I'm sure he had more important things on his mind than getting to the hidden depths of the characters, and an adult with very little knowledge of the source material could be one to assume. Still, I'd love to hear what he thought about voicing Harley (if he even remembers doing that haha).
I think it's less about James's actual sexuality and more about the way he's portrayed. I kind of always assumed he was gay as a kid because he was very flamboyant, but even if he wasn't he still perpetuates the effeminate male/gay villain stereotype. As for the stage production, I understand Andrew's grievances with being indirectly asked to "act gayer". It's kind of similar to how directors ask actors of color to act more "Black" or "Asian" etc. when they're playing racially stereotypical roles; it's never explicitly said but the sentiment is clear. Not to mention the absurdity of a don't ask don't tell joke in a show primarily for kids 💀
I understand your point. I think Rannells mostly meant about how James was very flamboyant and had an overly dramatic voice at the very start of the show, making him resemble a stereotypically gay character in a sitcom without being necessarily gay. I also believe that the reason he hasn't talked about the Harley portrayal is because he doesn't really go into specifics with his voice acting work in general, and because James is a far more prominent character, one that any Pokémon fan would recognize and know about, which he was originating in a musical, which he centered his career on at the time (still now a bit). Basically, I think James was a much bigger deal overall.
I do understand your point though, and I am just rambling here. I agree that the retrospective was great!
Why is James *specifically* making jokes about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
Cmon… we all know why
Excuse me, Giovanni the mafioso is the FATHER? Why doesn’t Kanto have its own version of Maury??
I'd be here for the mess, honestly.
I'm absolutely stunned at the amount of work that has went into this. I am super into media preservation - especially things like this- and I had no idea that it was even a thing! Thanks so much for making this documentary, man. Super proud of what you do, and stoked for whatever you end up creating in the future. Cheers! 🔥
For sure and thank you so much!
0:45 the iron pokeballs on that kid for wanting to trade THAT for a gyarados 😂
This was such a great documentary! As a Mexican kid who was obsessed with Pokemon, I am devastated I had never heard of the Mexico City one! Granted, around the time I lived a whole two and a half hour plane ride away, but I don't even remember watching it on TV! I am crushed, yet kinda glad cause those masks are horrifying.
Thanks so so much for bringing this to light, Faux!
Thank you for watching! I mean masks aside, it's pretty nice that international productions like the one in Mexico are available in full on UA-cam at least!
Did you happen to come across anyone with the sheet music rehearsal score? YEARS ago the former stage manager sent me the production kit with script and backing tracks and even production elements, but the sheet music you can see in the original behind the scenes footage was nowhere to be found. As a theatre collector and composer who is also a millennial, “the lost sheet music score to Pokémon Live” is one of my white whale items.
Unfortunately, no! I found the script and backing tracks, but my search for the sheet music came up with nothing. Hopefully it'll surface someday!
We learned it by ear. I believe they only gave us actual sheet music for maybe 1 or 2 of the songs.
@@heidiweyhmueller1649 thanks for the clarification! It’s probably safe to cross this item off the list of “theatre memorabilia that’s still out there.”
Incredible work! You can really tell how much hard work went into the research, writing, editing, all of it!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And thank you yes, A LOT of work. It was all worth it, though!
@@FauxRetro Agreed! You should be incredibly proud!
Pikachu is the furby of 1999 😆 what a sentence. great work, Faux, be proud and don't apologize for being proud, you went all out and put so much hard work into this, and its amazing. Take a breather, relax, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. You deserve a lot of praise for what you've achieved. 🤘 keep going. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 Bravo!
Thank you!
Wait he was in the Book of Mormon? Like…. Created by South Park’s creators Book of Mormon?!
Yep, and more! James is arguably more iconic, though.
He was the LEAD role in the Book of Mormon and if you look up the Tony Awards performance it’s just his solo!!
Yes! He originated the lead role of Elder Price when the musical opened on Broadway in 2011, and went on to play it since 2012. He got a tony nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical (alongside his costar, Josh Gad, who went on to be Olaf in Frozen ironically) and performed his solo "I Believe" at the Tony Awards!
If you're interested at all, the 65th Tony Awards are fully available on youtube. really recommend checking it out.
Let’s all band together and break into that theater and preserve those puppets
Sadly they're long gone now, no idea where they ended up!
This is so fantastic, you have no idea how perfect this timing was. At work me and my friends were playing "2.B. A Master" in full going stupid hard in the kitchen and then I blurt out "you know, there was a Pokémon Live back in 2000 and they played these songs". But I had never watched it. I just remembered the commercials for it on Pokémon tapes.
So I went home and found the restored footage and was completely blown away of how good and respectful this production was and this video was recommended after. The perfect double feature.
I also wanted to find video essays on Pokémania and BTS of 4Kids marketing of Pokémon, so this video fulfilled two cravings in one. Bravo good sir. Bravo.
Thanks so much, I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Pikachu’s size IS important!
The fact this musical even exists, and the Pokemania from back in the day actually makes sense, because IMO, the Pokemon anime was the right anime at the right time.
Think about it: In the 1990s, in the west, the time of Gigantors and Speed Racers was long over, and perception of anime was changing to that of a teens-and-adults only zone, a lot of the stuff being imported was aimed at older audiences (I.E. Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Macross Plus, Martian Successor Nadesico, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Princess Mononoke etc.), and the stuff airing on TV was very much clearly intended for tweens despite kid appeal and ridiculous censorship (Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z).
So, when Nintendo bought over not just the Pokemon games, but also the anime, the show wound up proving to western viewers that anime can still be genuinely aimed at children and also retain the immense creativity the big boy stuff featured, and so views of the show drove sales for the games, sales of the games drove interest and views in the anime and the end result took the west by storm. Pokemon was bought over at the right time, and I think it's this fact that kicked off the Pokefever of the late-1990s, and lead to Pokemon Live becoming a thing. At least those are my thoughts on the matter.
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS PLOT AND STORY AND CLOTHING
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS PLOT AND STORY AND CLOTHING
This was quite an interesting video, from the production, to the hurdles the actors had to endure on stage and backstage, and the international viewings of the show.
Although, I really hope those leftover Pokémon props in the abandoned theatre are found and at least sold so that they’re preserved for others to enjoy.
Faux your content is excellent. The quality of the past few documentaries are chefs kiss. And about things I never knew existed, please never stop.
Thank you, Chili! And I'm not planning on stopping! Just maybe not something feature-length for at least a few months LOL
I guess you could say the dancers are the Team Rockettes?
Need official Team Rockette merch yesterday.
Having been an extra for 10 days in a local musical, my respect for the craft has only grown, from exhaustive rehearsals to the final preformance, I cherish every moment that I had, and if I have a chance I would do it again.
I remember seeing the promo for Pokemon Live on the VHS Tape of Pokemon the First movie. I of course you know. Experiencing Pokemainia wanted to see it, but they weren't coming to Vegas from what I remember so I ended up forgetting about it. Years later I am browsing youtube and suddenly I see "Pokemon Live!" My jaw dropped open lol. it's been a while since I watched the show on youtube, but I was blown away by the cast. Specially Jessie and James.
One other fun fact regarding the original songs for Pokémon Live: four of them were featured in the ending credits for the dub of the 5th Pokémon movie, Heroes Latios and Latias. These were You & Me & Pokémon, Pikachu I Choose You, The Time Has Come (Pikachu’s Goodbye) and the finale version of My Best Friends. With the exception of Pikachu, I Choose You, all of them were the Pokémon Live versions and not the Totally Pokémon versions seen in the Johto seasons.
Edit: I was wrong. The Time Has Come was also the Totally Pokémon version
This is incredible. Thank you so much for the immense work you poured into sharing this with the internet.
Thank you for watching it!
This is incredible! I can say without a doubt that this is the most comprehensive video I have ever seen on Pokemon Live.
Thank you, Chadley!
Amazing video! its kind of insane how much is actually known about the making of this, considering how obscure this is. (And if patterrz ever reacts to this, I submitted it)
I haven't finished it yet, I'm about more than halfway through but I had to chime in - amazing work, extremely thorough, and a fantastic conclusion to the interest that spread around by channels like Chadtronic and I'm sure others. Here's to massive growth of your channel.
pokemon live was a show i discovered back in 2016 when i was about 8-9 years old. it enticed me immediately and i learnt all the lyrics to every song. i was pretty upset to find not many people knew about the production, even as a child.
looking back at this show at 17, it’s no way near a perfect production, but it will aways have that special place in my heart. i’ve grown to love theatre so learning everything i can about this musical is pretty high on my list.
it’s truly upsetting to see such an obscure piece of pokemon history left to become lost media, especially with songs such as it will all be mine and i’ve got a secret to forever be unreleased to streaming.
i really wish the soundtrack was released on streaming services - despite the show being partially a jukebox musical - or were to have an official cd release. you can probably count on one hand how many times the cd has popped up on auction sites within the last 10 years and that’s so upsetting.
this video was amazing and it’s great to see other people so fond of this performance. thank you for helping perceive the history of this show
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS PLOT AND STORY AND CLOTHING
"Or Bart Simpson's hair" Why did that get me so hard LMAO
Combing through SO MUCH footage of this show it's all I could thing about looking at the stage design LOL
@@FauxRetro Combing! I hate it here LOL
That wasn't even on purpose but lets pretend it was
@@FauxRetro He's so darn witty!
I thought I was a Pokemon Master but this has opened my eyes! Congrats on such an amazing video and work of art! Always Excited for more! I'm gonna enjoy this quite a few more times.
Super kind of ya, thank you!
“Ash is in his underwear” is a real sentence I never expected to hear
And that's only the beginning!
That was incredible, I feel like I was there. If only
Still mad it never came to Texas!
What a fascinating look into a brief part of the best selling media entity ever tht 99% of fans have no idea exists. I've watched the show on UA-cam before (and on Twitch in some very fun watch parties) but learning about all these background details is so interesting. I'm also from a tiny European country where Pokemon didn't quite take off so seeing what was going on in the rest of the world during the height is also so so fascinating. One funny little thing I noticed from the footage of the Dubai showing is that Misty and Jessie's outfits are a lot more censored, Misty's shorts are longer and baggier and her t-shirt is longer to not show her midriff, Jessie wears black stockings and her top also covers her midriff now, classic Dubai.
Honestly the big goal here is just reminding people this was a thing that happened! It's so delightfully odd it shouldn't be forgotten!
@@FauxRetro Definitely a good goal. It's such a shame a proper home video was never released so we're left with these rather low quality and dark recordings and seeing those old puppets collecting dust abandoned was a little bit heartbreaking even. More attention to this unique piece of Pokemon history is definitely needed.
What a trip.Would've loved to see something like this as a kid, to be fair.
Thanks for putting this together. Insane amount of research, in such a well put together presentation ~
Thank you for watching!
This is amazing! I watched the whole thing straight through. All your work is so impressive and it's a fascinating watch. I was delighted by Pokemon Live in spite of its silliness and cheesiness when I watched the video in 2017.
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS PLOT AND STORY AND CLOTHING
@@Tylersingh2003or maybe make a new pokemon show which is based on one of the best tv shows by the jim henson company, Jim Henson's the amazing world of Satoshi Tajiri with performers dressed like pokemon, the hosts are 5 pokemon trainers, the costumed pikachu, eevee, lilligant and Heliolisk and the character from native man Cubnub the Cheetah
@@Ben-kd7ug Yeah that would be cooler
Also, Ikue Otani WAS in Detective Pikachu, voicing the bits where Pikachu was in a non-talking state.
Also, according to a production member, Otani actually visited rehearsals at one point, so that was nice. And I believe that Maddie Blaustein was present at the first showing.
I do feel like Mig Ayesa deserved a bit of a shoutout in the “Where are they now” section for being a finalist on Rock Star: INXS. He’s actually doing vocals for an orchestral INXS tribute concert later this year, so he’s still busy.
"Is your dad a Snorlax, or a Gastly?"
Uhhhh....am I crazy or are they effectively asking kids, "Is your dad lazy/morbidly obese or dead/absent from your life?" What the actual hell!?
Fantastic bout of afternoon nostalgia. Great job researching and producing this!
Great video! I’m obsessed with the psyduck transitions
Thank you! And Psyduck lowkey really is the MVP of the show. The best.
Forgot to comment on this video before, but wow, this is super well done and interesting- the editing was top-notch and I just loved the whole thing!
Thanks, I seriously appreciate it!
This was so much fun to watch, you really went all out mate. Like with the R&C doco I'll be showing this to a few friends to help you get the watch time you deserve!
Thank you, Helian!
This is officially THE documentary about Pokemon Live.
Coming back to watch more. That curtain backdrop has so many wrinkles in it what the heck. No one decided to steam it? 😲
43:53 well, I guess that would make Ash and Silver half brothers (even though the later hasn’t been used properly in the anime besides a brief cameo in the Gold/Ethan/Jimmy OVA)
Just finished watching this at work man, you did a f’ing fantastic job making this. For something I never knew even existed even with living in New York my whole life, and even a fan of musicals, this was a treat to watch from start to finish. ❤️ Here’s to hoping we get that professionally shot version of Pokémon Live unearthed on day! Side note, I’ve been listening to the 2.B A Master album multiple times today and it’s all your fault. 🤨
Thank you! It'd be an absolute DREAM for the pro shot to finally see the light of day, but I'm not holding my breath!
fantastic video! i really thought i knew all there was to know about pokemon live but apparently not :D keep up the good work!
Thank you so much!
Incredible video, very well made!
"let the gay train leave the offensive ass station" was not a quote I was expecting to hear from this video.
I’ve recently had the idea of having The 1979 Muppet Movie adapted into a staged musical. Maybe even on Broadway.
That would be awesome!
I'd be all for literally anything with the words "Muppet" and "stage musical"
sounds amazing, but it probably wouldn't get picked up since Avenue Q exists
Fun fact, the original draft did have Geo being Ash’s dad but for some reason 4 kids rejected it. So they added some additional lines to showcase that Geo isn’t Ash’s father.
great video! love how much effort was put in to it.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
feeding that algorithm, also great video!
This was such a blast to watch, thank you! You presented amazing information on something I never knew existed, you have this sincere tone of being entertaining and informative, and I can tell you had worked so hard on this! Amazing job
i love researching into literally every Andrew Rannells production so I can write one very accurate Falsettos fanfiction lol.
My brain is basicaly now all all Andrew Rannells musicals so all the karate jokes make me think of "its karate, kid! the musical"
It's weird, despite being a massive Pokémon fan at the time, I never heard about this show until it was long gone, about 5 years later. Information about it at the time was close to zero. I never thought I'd ever be able to watch it.
You'd think I would have seen a TV commercial about it, but nope. I'm not sure they advertised it in my area.
Exact same boat! I couldn't believe I had somehow missed this as a kid, or at least been aware of it.
I haven't experienced the musical performance of Pokémon but enjoyed the TV show and some games, even I'm not an American. It's a very rare piece for the franchise and needs to be preserved.
always good to come back and listen to this video
Team Rocket being composed of a troupe of professional criminal dancers is now my new headcanon.
I'd be okay with them taking over the world, honestly.
I recently stumbled onto the TV Tropes page for this musical, and I immediately knew that I needed to see it. James being confirmed queer (which is VERY exciting to me as a queer woman, though I understand the concerns the actor had) and Giovanni having slept with Ash's mom (the most devastating thing you can say to a 10-12 year old and it's actually TRUE in this case?? Hilarious) were the two major reasons I decided to watch it (via the stage manager's bootleg) with my friends.
I'm a big fan of campy ridiculousness and even though I could barely see the characters, it was perfect. It made me so happy and I can't stop thinking about it.
I really hope that we will be able to find same footage of Dutch Pokémon Live!
NOTE: Dutch Pokémon Live was played in Belgium, NOT in The Netherlands!
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS
Wonderful documentary, thank you so much
This is just incredible the effort and energy that went into this musical about Pokémon! They did not have to go that hard on the songs but they did
NOT THE LOCAL PRODUCTION OF LEGALLY BLONDE. I’m triggered 😂
"It's a gift from me to ElllllLLLlLLlLllllleeee" living rent-free in my head
42:04 It's Karate, Kid: the unauthorized Karate Kid Musical starring Andrew Rannells
0:38 This is the face of someone who's had no childhood. Lady ALL action cartoons are about violence.
If they make a new Live and come to Sweden, I’ll definitely be there to see it
Is your dad a Snorlax or a Ghastly? Does he sleep all day or is he just dead and a ghost? Thanks, Pokemon Live!
Cut for pacing, but another question they asked was "Is your MOM A KRABBY?"
It's a choice.
Pikachu: Pikachu
Pikachu's Voice Actor: I approve of that line.
"Kids can be so cruel"
Because Team Rocket are supposed to be the villains, right? That's why they booed them!
Pokemon Live is honestly one of the best pokemon related media I have ever seen imo. I wish someday they could bring this back!
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS
@@Tylersingh2003 fr!
@@SG-BLAST WHAT
@@Tylersingh2003 yes there should be a new cast if it ever returns
@@SG-BLAST I KNOW RIGHT USING THE SAME CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS AND PLOT
I was honestly surprised that somebody who was in Pokemon Live and Yu-Gi-Oh actually did voice work in one of the absolute greatest shows PBS has ever aired/produced in my eyes (alongside The Magic School Bus and Arthur the Aardvark): Liberty's Kids. Seriously, that show is so criminally underrated! I personally believe that it truly doesn't get the love and respect that it deserves. If you haven't watched the entirety of Liberty's Kids already, then I highly recommend you go do so. As of me writing this, all 40 episodes of the show are up right here on UA-cam officially for free! So, there's absolutely no excuse to not watch it in its entirety!
Hey, question. You use some footage form an interview (like at 12:44) and I wanted to know if you knew where to find the vid, thank.
It's from the video "Writing Pokémon Live!: Nintendo's Forgotten Musical" from Game Informer's UA-cam channel. I had accidentally forgotten to include a link in the video description but it's there now!
I saw the show on UA-cam and I really loved it and the music is fantastic. I love the story and it was epic.
THIS VIDEO IS SO FUCKING GOOD!!! you're gonna blow up after this one. For sure.
Thank you!!!
never hit the like and sub buttons so fucking hard. amazing work you did bro
Thank you!
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST USING THE SAME CHARACTERS PLOT AND STORY AND CLOTHING
ikue otani was in detective pikachu...she was the voice for pikachu when he and tim were going down the alley and detective pikachu explains how no one else can hear him speak other than saying pika pika
My mom took me to this when I was like 4 or 5 I have no memory of it but a picture of me with pokemon flashlight
So.. Elder Price worked for Team Rocket before he went to Uganda? What a life.
33:29
That was too far, Team Rocket…
Ah yes. Cats. That utter and complete piece of shit that was only popular because idiot critics who unfortunately had clout said was good. Since the broadway audiences of the time lacked the intelligence to use a computer they couldn’t share their actual opinions about what they really felt about how stupid it was, and those initial positive reviews remained cemented until the movie showed everyone what utter trash it was.
Of all the things to debait on they choose Pikachus bloddy size Great documentary bro! Also I Stan hitmanlee
this deserves more views
I watched a very shitty recording of the Musical a few years ago. Appearently it was the last full recording and was uploaded by the Producer himself, because he thought it was worth preserving.
So, the Camera was not very good und pretty far away, I could barely make out the characters, everything was overlit. However, I watched the whole show, beginning to end. It wasn't Shakespeare, of course, but it was pretty good.
THEY SHOULD DO THIS AGAIN BUT WITH NEW CAST