For Banana Ketchup Co-founders Patricia Dinglasan & Kyle Marian, Producing a Comedy Festival Was Inevitable

The Filipino Comedy Festival is back for its second year, this time bigger and stronger, with shows in New York City and San Francisco. 

When Patricia Dinglasan—a mom and former beauty industry executive—met Kyle Marian Viterbo (whose stage name is Kyle Marian)—a science journalist and event producer—in the winter of 2020, it was comedy kismet: The two had already been working stand-up comics in New York City, performing and producing shows around town, when they happened to be at the same show. “I followed Ronny Chieng in the lineup, and I could hear someone in the audience cackling, screaming words of encouragement and laughing loudly,” Dinglasan shares. That person was Viterbo, who at the time was already producing and performing in sold-out educational comedy shows in New York City, like the headline-making Asians Strike Back: A Coronavirus Comedy & Science Show. 

“I went up to her and said, ‘Are you Filipino?’” And shortly after that, Banana Ketchup Comedy was born.

Fast forward to 2024, the two are speaking to Vogue Philippines on the heels of four sold-out shows in San Francisco (“It was a dream come true,” says Dinglasan), the first of two bi-coastal events of the 2nd annual Filipino Comedy Festival. Three shows in New York will wrap up an action-packed Filipino American History Month for the duo.

“We are in the homestretch,” an out-of-breath Dinglasan shares, “It feels like the last five minutes of a Peloton ride—everything is set in place, we’ve placed the ads, done the interviews, handed out flyers, and ticket sales are going up by hour. We’re looking to sell out NYC like we did San Francisco so I feel good.”

To understand the pair’s unwavering commitment and relentless drive for producing the very first Filipino Comedy Festival back in 2023, albeit with very little help, Viterbo talks about their early days partnering with local businesses that were impacted by the global pandemic. “Banana Ketchup Comedy started as a ‘street shed’ show,” she shares. [Ed: As lockdown eased up in NYC, restaurants built makeshift outdoor dining spaces on adjacent sidewalks.] “We pitched to a fellow Filipina small business owner Augelyn “Auggie” Francisco who ran Kabisera Cafe. We hoped a pop-up comedy show featuring some of our favorite up and coming diverse comedians would attract paying customers on an otherwise slow evening.” 

That strategy worked—and it wasn’t long before Banana Ketchup was producing shows ranging from pop-ups in New York’s Philippine Independence Day celebrations, to food festivals in Times Square and Canal Street, all of which supported Asian-American small businesses and communities. These shows attracted A-list comedians with the likes of Sheng Wang (Netflix) and Atsuko Okatsuka (HBO).

For Dinglasan, it goes deeper: “As I started getting into New York City comedy clubs on a regular basis, I noticed I was one of very few Asians and even more so, one of very few Asian women on the lineups.” While the global pandemic temporarily derailed plans to curate a show that bridged this gap, Dinglasan focused on her burgeoning comedy career. “I was one of those insane comedians that did shows at the park!” And in October 2020, with the help of then Stand Up NY booker Jon Borromeo (who is also Filipino), Dinglasan produced her first show for Filipino American History month featuring an all-Filipino lineup in Central Park. 

But it hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns for this comedy duo, far from it. “One year we had a headliner—that’s the biggest name on a show—who canceled at the last minute, so we had to pivot, fast!” laments Viterbo. “Another year we planned a show during the holidays with a seriously stacked lineup…we’re talking comedians who have a million followers, and we only sold 10 tickets despite heavy marketing and promotion. We ended up canceling the show and learned the hard way to never compete with holiday plans and vacations.”

Now in its second year, the Filipino Comedy Festival brings together rising comedy stars representing the rich Filipino diaspora across the US, Canada and the UK. And this year, the Filipina producing duo and their team achieved a historic milestone: The first-ever collaboration between East and West Coast Filipino comedy communities.

This year’s lineup for both coasts is indeed the stuff of dreams: For the San Francisco leg held in the historic Bindlestiff Studio, Dinglasan and Viterbo rang in the start of the festival by banging on a tabo with tsinelas. The duo also teamed up with Bwahaha Barkada (a.k.a. the BBs)—a group of four Filipino-American comedians, Debra Belale, Manny Cabrera, Rhoda Gravador, and Allan Samson Manalo who produce comedy shows for the thriving local comedy scene. They are known for the Comedy Before The Debauchery Slate open mics, The Standup Throwdown Comedy Competition, and the Lapu Lapu Laugh Rebellion.

In addition to stand-up, Banana Ketchup also produced a variety show in San Francisco that featured the Asian improv sketch group Granny Cart Gangstas, with musical comedians Rhoda Gravador and Herb Digs Felina.

For New York City, audiences will enjoy three shows spotlighting the best of the East Coast diaspora—one featuring younger first and second-generation Fil-Ams, a finale featuring the “Titas and Titos” of Filipino comedy, and a unique educational treat: Kyle Marian’s signature Filipino American History Month showcase, a fun and riotous show that features performances by the smartest and funniest Filipino stand-ups. Think, hilarious TED talks with 100% historically accurate PowerPoint presentations.  “I have always aimed for my comedy to make people laugh AND learn,” says Viterbo, a former scientist turned comedian. “We’ll actually have three doctors on one show!” 

The NYC lineups include headliners Ria Lina (a former forensic scientist turned comedian featured in BBC, Radio 4), Clare O’Kane (a former SNL writer), Michael Cruz Kayne from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, historian Dr. Kevin Nadal (a former comedian-turned-academic hero—the first Asian American faculty member at John Jay College to be named Distinguished Professor), and comedians who have been featured on Comedy Central, Just For Laughs, Buzzfeed, Edinburgh Fringe, and more.

 “We had a full circle moment this year when we interviewed actor Dante Basco—as in Rufio from Hook,” an excited Viterbo shares. “Imagine how in 2022, he was funny Rufio gif on our comedy slideshow celebrating milestones in Filipino American History. Then in less than two years, there we were sharing the stage with him—our actual Fil-Am hero growing up—making him LAUGH?! I mean, I used to dress up as Rufio for Halloween! That was surreal.”

Dinglasan is as enthusiastic: “My goal is for everyone who goes to a show—in New York, San Francisco, or wherever Banana Ketchup takes us—to laugh so hard that they hit the person next to them… I don’t know why we Filipinas do that, but I want it to be so funny it REALLY HURTS!” Viterbo chimes in, “At least the odds are good there will be a healthcare worker hero in the audience to save them if needed.”

What’s next for the Banana Ketchup duo? “To keep my blood pressure normal!” jokes Dinglasan. “I hope we can find the right teams to bring the Filipino Comedy Festival to more cities in the US and even globally. It would give Filipino comics an even bigger platform, without having to independently go on tour.” She adds, “I am big on manifesting—I would love to shoot a special with all Filipina comedians and sell it to one of the major streamers…so we all can become super famous and rich and powerful and get free clothes!”

Viterbo shares, “After our first big show in 2022, an audience member wrote to us, ‘Comedy was my savior and after seeing my first Banana Ketchup show, created by these pioneering Filipino-American women, I left thoroughly believing I had found my tribe.’ It was a reminder, even when we’re having a hard time as comedians or producers, that we are creating something really special.”

“Being a working comedian and a producer has shown me that if we work together, we can accomplish big things. And seeing the magic and joy in these shows makes me believe that many Filipina comedians can and will be successful,” emphasizes Dinglasan.

She adds, “I am inspired and motivated by my friend Zarna Garg—a former lawyer and stay-at-home mom turned comedian and actress—seeing her career skyrocket with creating her own comedy tour, television show, and as of late, collaborating with the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Pohler.  Witnessing her success has reinforced the message that if you don’t see what you want to become, you have to create it.”

“We won’t wait for someone else to see our value,” says Viterbo. “And no one can do this the way we can, with an abundance mindset that puts our community first. It’s worth the blood, sweat and tears.”

For aspiring comics, Dinglasan and Viterbo are unanimous about the New Filipino Time: “DON’T BE LATE! No, seriously, this is our biggest pet peeve. As producers, we put in so much effort to create something special and all we ask of you as a comic is to show up, perform, and enjoy the show, and for you to have the audacity to be…late? Not cool!”