This will be at the Chatterbox Robinsons Galleria and will feature Rey with guests Randy Santiago and Jaya. Also supporting him are Martin and Vi-vorah, Rey’s co- talents at The Library where he performs every Saturday.
With the concert just a few days away, Rey is having sleepless nights. He isn’t worried his show will bomb at the box-office, because the tickets are sold out. The stand-up comedian known for his attention-getting style of dressing onstage is afraid of disappointing the audience who paid to see him perform.
Although he has performed every Sunday night at The Library for the last three years and is used to making audiences laugh, this show is different because it is in a bigger venue. The last time Rey performed in a venue bigger than Chat-terbox was during provincial shows.
This is the biggest challenge of Rey’s career. Already, some people are trying to ruin it by saying that because he has only been in the business for three years, he doesn’t yet deserve a solo show. They point out that some comedians put in years of hard work before they get the kind of break Rey has been given.
"They’re saying I’m getting swell-headed but that’s not true," counters Rey. Itaas ang Kilay will consist of song and skit numbers and Rey’s famous interpretations of Jaya and Jessa Zaragoza. He tries not to pay attention to what he hears people saying about him, since he knows they are motivated mainly by envy.
Rey can’t really understand what all the fuss is about. He didn’t even plan on becoming an entertainer in the first place. Rey first worked as a production assistant on the now-defunct show Chibugan Na! and then as script-writer before getting introduced to the world of stand-up comedy by accident.
It all started because he liked singing. He would frequent the Library with his friends. One night, the host asked him to sing. Everyone was amused because I did!" says Rey. Finally, Library owner Andrew de Real came up to him one night and asked Rey if he wants to host.
Rey couldn’t believe it. Andrew put him onstage one Saturday night, and his life was never the same again. Rey is now one of the most popular entertainers at The Library and even does a thrice-weekly stint at Punchline on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Then there’s this show at Chat-terbox sponsored by Beam Toothpaste and First Associated Cargo Express, Inc. He explains that it won’t necessarily have a concept, but will have more of singing and his spontaneous style of comedy. Rey believes this is what has endeared him to fans of stand-up comedy. That, and his fashion sense which some say borders on the bizarre. It will be exciting to see what kind of outfits Rey comes up with for this show.
Aside from that, people will watch the show to catch his spontaneous style of comedy. "More on facial expressions and movements," is how he describes it.
Rey is confident he will be able to give the audience a good show. Then, all his sleepless nights will have been worth it.