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Stand-up comedy takes center stage as Alex Calleja and The Comedy Crew gear up to bring laughter to our fellow Filipinos in Singapore and Dubai.

In a recent media conference held at Alex’s own restaurant, Meats and Deli Café, at The Grove by Rockwell in Pasig City, he shared how he misses doing live shows.”

“Nagawa na naman before [ang streaming ng comedy shows]. Nagsimula kami sa iWant, meron kaming iflix, may mga ginagawa kami na portion-portion for not as big as Netflix, pero meron din.

(“We have done streaming comedy shows before. We started on iWant, we had iflix, we did some portions for platforms not as big as Netflix, but we had them too.)

“Kanya-kanya naman siyang pakulo,” he continued. “Katulad nito, Dubai, it’s another way of showing. Pero kung papipiliin kami, gusto naming bumalik sa live e! Kasi iba pa rin talaga yung live, iba talaga yung face-to-face na patawa, kasi we do ad-libs.

(“Each one has its own gimmick. Like this one, Dubai, it’s another way of showing. But if we were to choose, we’d like to go back to live shows! Because live is still different, the face-to-face laughter is different, because we do ad-libs.)

“Yung napanood mo sa online na jokes, different na different siya sa live, kasi may panibagong twist, may reaction kami sa tao…”

“What you’ve seen in online jokes is very different from live, because there’s a new twist, we react to the audience…”

Dubai Opera – April 13

In line with Dubai Comedy Festival, Alex Calleja, alongside The Comedy Crew members Israel Buenaobra, Jeps Gallon, and Mak Navares, is set to deliver the first-ever Filipino stand-up comedy show in Dubai on April 13 at Dubai Opera.

“Originally, English siya, pero marami kasing OFW na nanonood sa amin online na Tagalog ang piyesa namin, so gusto naming iparinig nang live, para na rin makatulong sa mga naho-homesick nating kababayan na nakaka-miss makarinig ng Tagalog,” says Alex.

(“Originally, it was in English, but many OFWs watch us online with Tagalog pieces, so we want to perform live to help our homesick kababayans who miss hearing Tagalog.”)

This makes Alex and The Comedy Crew take the spotlight as the first full-blooded Pinoy comedians to grace the grand stage of Dubai Opera.

“Nakaka-pressure pero nakaka-proud kasi mare-represent natin ‘yong style ng comedy natin sa Dubai,” adds Alex.

(“It’s pressure, but it’s also pride because we get to represent our comedy style in Dubai.”)

Catch them live at Dubai Opera on April 13, 2024, Saturday. Tickets are still available at dubaicomedyfest.ae.

Comedy Masala, Singapore – March 25 & 26

The laughter continues as Alex and The Comedy Crew, joined by Imah Dumagay, bring their comedic flair to Comedy Masala, Singapore’s biggest and most popular weekly standup comedy show. See them on March 25 and 26, 2024. Tickets were in high demand and sold out quickly!

Alex hopes these international tours will open doors for Pinoy comedians, especially The Comedy Crew.

“Our goal is to spread Pinoy comedy all over the world,” says Alex.

The Comedy Crew’s official website launched

In addition to their global comedy ventures, Alex Calleja is excited to announce the launch of The Comedy Crew’s official website. Featuring profiles of their 18 comedians from various regions, along with show and open mic schedules, the website makes it easier for comedy fans to keep track of upcoming gigs.

Stay updated at www.thecomedycrew.com.