Farrington High welcomes back famous, funny alum

The 1986 Farrington High School graduate returned to his alma mater for the taping of "Then and Now," which captures Tulba in the prime of his comedy career. He appeared at ease from the moment he walked on stage, telling the audience it was "so cool coming back to the old neighborhood," and recalling his time spent in Farrington's drama program.

Much of Tulba's new material focused on his travels to the mainland, where he has performed extensively over the last few years, but he also spoke about his family life and gay son -- two topics that proved incredibly popular with fans of his first live-performance DVD.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann was also the subject of a few jokes, even though he was sitting just a few feet away in the audience. Before the show, Hannemann praised Tulba, saying he "hasn't forgotten his roots" and that when "good people do great things in our community, you need to let them know you appreciate it."

Tulba also announced that he would launch a statewide "Comedy in the Community" concert series next month. The first performance will be Sept. 3 at Waianae High School, with Tulba's nonprofit Speak the Dream Foundation using the evening's proceeds to buy new equipment for Waianae's Pop Warner football team.