Pokemon Live, the musical based on the hottest characters among children around the world, has taken Dubai by storm, as it brings alive the Pokemon story with beautifully choreographed songs, suspenseful drama and amazing special effects. Pikachu, the cuddly little Pokemon, his trainer Ash, friends Misty and Brock, the bad guys gang of Team Rocket, and of course the villain Giovanni, are all there in this musical extravaganza filled with hummable songs.

Pokemon Live takes place at Mamzar Park every evening during the Dubai Shopping Festival. There are two daily shows at 7 and 9pm except on Sundays. The song-and-dance spectacular tells the story of how Pikachu is kidnapped by Giovanni, who has devised a sort of super-robot, Pokemon, who can instantly assimilate an opponent's power, thus enabling its creator to rule the world.

The action takes place against a giant backdrop showing audio visual scenes from the Pokemon series, while down below on stage the exciting drama and wonderful choreography keep the audience spellbound. Pikachu's cute dances wow the young and old alike. One of the cutest sights is seeing the Pokemon dance, which features some 20-odd little Pokemons performing a lively dance with their trainers. Pikachu's power to emit fire is shown through amazing special effects. Pikachu can 'thunder-attack' an opponent, but it is no match to the 'hyper beam' of Mega-Meowth2, the monster Pokemon created by Giovanni. The final scene, however, shows that good triumphs over evil.

The songs of Pokemon Live are its highlights, including the Pokemon theme song, My Best Friends, You Just Can't Win, The Best at Being the Worst and You and Me and Pokemon. Audiences that watched the live musical on the first day on March 2 had great praise for the event. Little kids, many of whom collect Pokemon characters, were particularly impressed with the production.

Amer, an eight-year-old boy, said: "I loved it. It had all my favourite characters, including Pikachu and Misty. The fights were really good, and when I saw Pikachu and Ash lying unconscious, I nearly cried." Ayesha, a six-year-old girl, said: "I wanted to go and hug Pikachu on stage, but my mother would not let me. He is so cute. I loved the songs and dances. I would like to see the show again next week."