A Kool summer in Bangkok

BANGKOK – Nature and mysticism blend in this bustling capital of Thailand, where the 38-strong cast and crew of GMA 7’s top-rating show Kool Ka Lang is shooting their summer special (airing dates: March 13 and 20, 7:30 to 9 p.m.).

It’s the height of summer, and the bright colors of the unusually-shaped umbrellas (the one with the cat’s ears make nice pasalubongs) being sold at the entrance to Safari World could double as a fashion accent.

In one corner, acting director Raymart Santiago (the official director, Ipe Pelino, had to take his luggage back at the Manila airport after some last-minute hitches), huddled with the rest of the Kool Ka Lang gang: Parañaque Mayor Joey Marquez, Caloocan Councilor Dennis Padilla, LJ Moreno (Raymart’s love interest), Gloria Diaz, eight-year-old Mark Wilson, Robert "Long" Mejia, pint-sized but lovable Dagul (real name: Romy Pastrana) and guests Lara Fabregas and Ana Capri.

Mark, backpack in tow, couldn’t wait to enter Safari World and has been bombarding his petite mom with questions on when he could finally enter the place.

But no, there was work to do first. And that is the MTV to be shown in the middle portion of the two-part summer special.

Lara, acting as tour guide, started delivering her lines against the backdrop of giraffes whose sheer number has made it the symbol of Safari World in this city. Raymart, Joey, Dennis and the rest of the gang, playing poor guys who won a game show contest that brought them to Thailand, followed.

Little Mark finally got his wish when the group hied off to the bus that took us inside Safari World. It was a mini-Africa transported to the heart of this city as all sorts of exotic animals paraded before us unmindful of the gaping mouths, the wide-eyed stares, the oohs and aahs from their human visitors.

Joey Marquez, seeing one of the giraffes cross the street, slow-mo, joked: "Ah, giraffe! That’s also seen in Makati (referring to a party place at the heart of the financial district)!"

Dennis Padilla, fast on the draw, shot back, "Do you know that it’s prohibited to slap any of the giraffes?" Asked why, he replied, "They’re so tall, you can’t reach them!"

The knee-jerk flow repartee and punch lines speaks volumes about the chemistry that has made Kool Ka Lang more of a regular fun ride for the cast instead of mere work they must get over with week after week.

One talks, another answers. When someone opens his mouth, everyone lets him – whether he’s a big or small actor, shine. There are no stars here, everyone is equal.

Executive Producer Redgie Magno crows, "There’s no such thing as one cast member stealing the scene from the other. No one is a lesser player. If, for instance, Raymart has a punch line, he lets Dagul or Long deliver it. Everyone shines."

Raymart likens the work setup to that of a play. "The minute someone forgets a line, someone else speaks up to save the situation."

To someone who observed how he sometimes appears like a mere extra in an episode, Raymart has a ready answer: "I tell him that’s how it really works. I can’t hog the limelight the whole time. I myself have said that I prefer say, giving Long an episode he can truly call his own. This way, everybody shines."

When he has a joke he thinks he can’t deliver that well, Raymart thinks nothing of letting his fellow actor say the punch line, and, best of all, get full credit for it.

The pay-off is two-and-a-half years of staying on air, and top ratings to go with it. Small wonder GMA-7 management didn’t have to think twice when the Kool Ka Lang gang decided to go out of the country for the first time for its summer special.

Bangkok was a natural choice. Joey Marquez has been making his trademark "elephant jokes" for so long (mature readers will remember the question "Why wasn’t the elephant allowed to enter UE?" and the answer, "Because it had no I.D."). It was easy to think of "elephant rich" Thailand as the first out-of-the-country destination for the show.

Never mind if the station had to spend hundreds of thousands of pesos for the gargantuan effort, and lug tons of equipment for it. The top-rating show, its staff and crew, deserve it. But not everything was a bed of roses, so Raymart soon found out. Since they were not in the studio and far away from home, he had to make do with only one master sound. Everything had to be perfect in just one take or grinding of the cameras.

If the script for one scene falls short of the allotted time, the cast must think and act fast. They must adlib a witty punch line fast, to fill in the time. Remember that in television, dead air is lost time, and every single second counts.

Thus, to Dennis’ comment that the zebra he sees to his left at Safari World looks like a piece of pad paper, Raymart shoots back: "It’s also a horse covered with stripes!"

To Joey’s comment that the Himalayan Black Bear right in front of him looks sad because he didn’t get a call slip (a practice by which actors get roles in TV or movie projects), someone answers, without batting an eyelash, "Oh yes, he didn’t make it to the shoot!"

This freewheeling exchange of punch lines as our bus rolls along Safari World can go on forever.

The mood changed 360 degrees as the Kool Ka Lang gang arrived at the Royal Temple. Covered with gold, its spires pointing up to the sky as if in supplication, the temple commanded respect, reverence. You could feel it as people removed their footwear and socks before ever so quietly slipping inside.

This time, one cannot afford to crack any of those irreverent jokes so common on the set. LJ Moreno had to cover her spaghetti-strapped shirt to shoot a light romantic scene with Raymart in front of the temple. No sir, there shall no baring of shoulders in this sacred place.

Still, everybody was caught unawares when someone, presumably a temple official, approached Raymart and LJ while they were caught in an embrace (they play on screen sweethearts) to tell them such sign of affection is a no-no.

Again, Raymart the director had to think fast. He told his actors to improvise the dialogue and continued the shoot elsewhere instead.

After all, there were other sites to go shooting in like the River City. Earlier, the group shot some scenes at the Floating Market, The Rose Garden, Crocodile Farm, Snake Farm, Asia Hotel, Aroma Hotel and The Patpong District.

A full scene with an elephant – a baby not averse to pulling its own stunt by stretching backwards for all his surprised and scared visitors to see – was done earlier.

Bangkok is not the end of the Kool Ka Lang specials featuring foreign countries. Redgie Magno reports that she got an invitation from the Filipino community in Dubai to shoot an episode or two there.

Negotiations are going on, and this early, an airline has agreed to sponsor the transportation of cast, crew and equipment. That would have to wait until after the May 14 elections though, says Redgie as this one requires a lot of preparation.

After Dubai, it will be Australia, adds Redgie. Day after tomorrow, who knows what come-ons Kool Ka Lang will pull out of its magic bag of surprises?