Boobay resumes taping for TBATS under new normal

MANILA, Philippines — A month after the Metro Manila lockdown eased last June, stand-up comedian Boobay received the heartbreaking news that top comedy bars Klownz and Zirkoh closed down, leaving more than two dozen comedians jobless.

It was really sad for Boobay to see the popular entertainment venues cease operations after two decades. The reality didn’t sink in right away to him. “That became an issue overnight to me,” Boobay admits. “I thought about me and my fellow comedians whose only work was performing at Klownz and Zirkoh. I realized we needed to understand the COVID-19 situation that affected many businesses.”

However, two months after that comedy bar closure happened, Boobay was asked to report back for work and resume taping for The Boobay and Tekla Show, his late-night, weekly comedy on GMA 7. Indeed, when one door closes, another one opens. And Boobay cannot be thankful enough for that.

After five months of not facing the TV cameras, he started taping again with Super Tekla for The Boobay and Tekla Show or popularly called TBATS. The late-night program has been on the air since January 2019, only interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and halted the program’s taping for six months.

“We are so thankful we are among the few ones chosen to return,” grants Boobay, who is Norman Balbuena in real life. “But we all have to adjust to the new normal. When we started taping again, there was no more audience for the safety of everyone. There were very few people inside the studio, only those who were really needed in the show.”

The Boobay and Tekla Show, which Boobay hosts with Super Tekla (whose real name is Romeo Librada), airs at 10:30 p.m. on Sundays, after Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho. “We were told that even when the network was previously airing replays, we had high ratings,” Boobay beams. “Our show is one of the firsts in the network to start your week right to laugh and be entertained.”

Unlike before when they had to regularly tape weekly, Boobay and Tekla wrapped up three episodes, good for three Sundays, when they started taping again. “Next taping, we need to have another swab test before we can work again,” Boobay discloses. “We need to observe and follow many safety protocols. There are people going in and out of the studio.”

The first episode taped with Mark Bautista as guest was aired on Sept. 13. Other big stars will join them in the succeeding episodes. “The audience would see the other side of Mark,” Boobay says. “He paints, he cooks. He would join our other fun segments. Of course, he would also sing.”

Boobay is grateful for the “overwhelming trust” given to him by GMA 7 to host a weekly TV program. “Never in my wildest dreams that I will be given a show like TBATS,” he discloses. “I am content with whatever comes my way. Then TBATS came.”

Admittedly, Boobay and the many other stand-up comedians are still recuperating after what happened to Klownz and Zirkoh. Yet, Boobay, who is a resident of Nueva Ecija, will always be grateful for his stint at Klownz, which started back in 2009, after he met fellow comedian Ate Gay in Manila. “Sabi niya, ‘Bakla ka, bumibiyahe ka pa dito sa Manila!’ He offered to introduce me to (Miss) Allan K, who asked me to sing in my audition at Klownz,” Boobay shares.

Two years before that, Boobay finished his college course — Bachelor of Arts in Communication — at the St. Louis University (SLU) in Baguio City. However, even before he graduated, Boobay already had his foray into a comedy bar in Baguio.

His TV stint came much earlier. While still a student, he snatched a walk-in role in Idol Ko si Kap, a GMA 7 sitcom that starred Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. “I merely sent a video for audition, then I was given a role,” Boobay offers.

After he finished college, Boobay originally planned to work in Baguio until opportunities opened for him. “On Mondays, I would go to Manila just for the taping of Idol Ko si Kap,” he recalls. “I would just take Victory Liner for six to seven hours. Right after the taping, I would ride the bus again and go straight to school.”

The eldest in a brood of four, Boobay is a native of Zambales. His father is a retired military officer. When Boobay was still in high school, he was the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman in Zambales.

In 2009, Boobay became a regular performer at Klownz along Quezon Avenue. The following year, he was seen onstage at Zirkoh in Tomas Morato. He got opportunities he never imagined earlier in life after he worked in the comedy bars. Aside from out-of-town shows, he was able to go out of the country to perform repeatedly in the US, Canada and Japan. He is also grateful to Allan K for the Aliw Award he received as Best Stand-up Comedian in 2018.

At present, Boobay also has shows on Facebook, YouTube and regularly on Kumu. He hosts a game show, May Tama Ka, three times a week on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays, at 5 p.m. on Kumu.

“The Lord really has a purpose for everything happening in your life,” Boobay believes. “We are optimistic the stand-up comedy shows will return. This is not the end. After this COVID-19, there’s still a big chance for entertainment to bounce back, bigger and better.”