Category → Comedians
Congratulations to GB Labrador of the Comedy Cartel
Our very own GB Labrador of the Comedy Cartel, the only group in the Philippines that performs point of view stand up comedy, won 2nd place in the English Division of the 4th Annual Hong Kong Comedy Festival held at Take Out Comedy. Watch him as he performs tonight, Wednesday, at Votre Bar in Quezon City (on top of East St. Louis) near ABS-CBN. Our other Filipino representatives that participated in the comedy festival were the funny Noel Gascon, Eri Neeman, and Raffy Taruc. This is a big win for Pinoy stand up comedy, proving once again that Pinoy talent is world class.
Laugh Out Loud at the RCBC Theater June 4, 2010
What happens when you put together the funniest impressionist in the Philippines and the pioneer of Pinoy point of view stand up comedy? One hilarious show called Laugh Out Loud. I’ve seen both guys perform and let me tell you they are worth every peso. I’m going to watch this show and I suggest you do too. You will truly enjoy.
Tickets to Laugh Out Loud are available at Ticketworld! 8919999 or log on to ticketworld.com.ph
Here’s a little snippet of Tim Tayag’s performance at Votre Bar in Quezon City. Incidentally, you can also catch the Comedy Cartel, the pioneers of Pinoy point of view stand up comedy, at Votre Bar every Thursday at 9:00pm.
Pinoy Comedian Raffy Taruc
One of the promising stars in the Pinoy comedy circuit is a young man by the name of Raffy Taruc. Nicknamed “the Huk”, not because his grandfather was part of the hukbalahap (a group of rebels that fought the Japanese occupiers) but rather because his penis is shaped like a hook, Raffy’s deadpan style and rhythm is bound to have you in stitches once you open your mind and throw away your judgement. Watch him regularly perform with the Comedy Cartel in Spicy Fingers, Greenbelt 2, Makati, Philippines every Monday night.
Kevin Camia
Kevin Camia is one of the fastest rising stars in the comedy scene. I’ve known this guy for quite a while and he’s the real deal. He’s good friends with Allan Manalo and Tim Tayag. He’s one of the best writers out there in the circuit and he can do Filipino audiences and mixed audiences as well. This video is just a snippet of this guy’s awesome skills on stage. I hope you enjoy him.
Classic Allan Manalo
Al Manalo, one of the Godfathers of point of view comedy in the Philippines, performs his classic bit on fantasy role playing with his wife on this video. Allan, who started performing the comedy circuit in San Francisco and traveled the road extensively, has contributed greatly to the comedy scene in the Philippines. In my opinion, he is a comedian full of integrity. He lived in Manila for a few years before he returned to San Francisco and until now, his students and fans await his return. I hope you enjoy this classic Al Manalo bit.
Comedy Cartel: the Filipino Comedy Revolution
the core of the comedy cartel
If you haven’t noticed, there’s a revolution happening in the comedy scene and it’s being led by a group called the Comedy Cartel. The group was originally formed a couple of years ago when two Filipino American stand up comics named Tim Tayag and Allan Manalo were judging JackTV’s Lafapalooza and had all these new comic talents but had no direction. So one night, while Al and Tim were hosting a late night radio show for peanuts, they thought of creating an organization that would pool all the powers of these stand up comics – the newbies, the oldies, and the weirdos. And the name they thought of was the Comedy Cartel because they just liked the drug and mafia reference, even though these 2 guys’ only violent experience was when some Middle Eastern men danced with them in a club (actually that was just Al’s experience).
The group expanded and included comedians such as Alex Calleja, Marlon Olivan (consistent runner-up in comedy contests), Red Ollero, Ryan Puno, Noel Gascon (Lafapalooza 2 champion), Ryan Rems, Derf Hebrado, Victor Anastacio (Lafapalooza 1 champion), Richie Fernandez (Cool Center champion), Eri Neeman (MTV VJ), GB Labrador, Chino Liao, Eric Villarama, JB Dela Cruz, Trian Lauang, Marcelle Fabie, and others (sorry if I missed anyone but I think I got pretty much everyone covered). The groups is – as far as I know – the only gang in town that does point of view comedy. In a land dominated by gay comedy bars and insult comedy, Spicy Fingers in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati serves as the home nest of these western style comics. In fact, Spicy Fingers has developed quite a reputation for its Monday night comedy that even comedian Jo Koy (who has his own show on Comedy Central) and other comedians from Hong Kong and Canada have dropped by to do guest sets. You can catch the Comedy Cartel every Monday night at around 8pm. You can make reservations by contacting Ecircle Entertainment at +63.2.5339316 or texting +63.922.8596144
Some nights are showcases wherein you will get to watch anywhere from 10 to 15 comedians performing short sets. Some nights are theme nights, wherein you get to see 5 comedians doing longer sets with a headliner. Check with eCircle Entertainment which nights are the ones with more English speaking comedians (in case you don’t understand Tagalog) and which nights are more Tagalog friendly.
Tips for Corporate Comedy Gigs
Here’s a useful set of tips for doing corporate gigs in the Philippines written by Filipino American stand up comedian Tim Tayag who is now based in the Philippines and does a lot of corporate gigs.
5 Quick Pointers for Corporate Comedy Gigs
GMA 7 Looking for Comedians
I heard that GMA Channel 7 is holding auditions for a new show that’s kinda like Last Comic Standing. If you’re a stand up comedian of any format and you’re interested, go to GMA7 Annex building 4th floor between 1pm to 5pm tomorrow, March 12, 2010. I was told that they’re looking for any type of comedian, so I don’t know what that really means especially since the word “stand up comedian” is used very loosely in the showbiz industry here. Either way, it won’t hurt to try out. Break a leg.
3 Quick Tips to Improve Stage Presence
I found this article by Filipino point-of-view stand up comedian Tim Tayag to be very useful. I hope it helps…
Most comedians are skilled in delivering jokes. But sometimes they have bad stage habits. And there’s nothing that destroys a funny bit than bad stage management. These are the 3 simple things that I learned that maybe small things but make a big difference in your stage performance. Take it from me, I’ve been performing for 13 years now and counting.
1. Find your light. Some comedians like to make use of the whole stage by walking around ala Dane Cook. But you also have to consider the lighting limitations. If you step out of your light, meaning the audience can’t see your face, you will have a harder time making a connection with them and getting the laughter that you so badly need. So the trick is, to figure out the space that you can move in without losing the light.
2. When you scream for emphasis or lack of a real punch line (sometimes screaming can fool an audience that you’re actually saying something funny even if you’re not), make sure the mic is far away from your mouth. Nothing is more annoying than a comedian screaming into the mic directly and blowing a few eardrums. We understand what you’re trying to emphasize, just hold the mic to the side or at least a foot away from your face when you do so.
3. If you’re the type to take the microphone out of the stand, don’t leave the stand in front of you. It creates a barrier between you and your audience. As soon as you take out the mic, grab the stand and put it to the side or behind you. You want to be as intimate as possible to the crowd without actually taking your clothes off, unless that’s what the act calls for (although I doubt it).
Trust me, with these simple tips you can improve your stage presence. It won’t make you funnier but it can make you look more seasoned as a performer and a speaker.
Original article can be viewed here:
3 quick tips by pinoy comedian Tim Tayag