The Gadiel Del Orbe Show

Rise & Fall of ThatsDominican + Building La Factoria — Tommy Peña #6

Episode Summary

Comedy producer and culture plug Tommy Peña joins Gadiel to rewind one of the OG Latino sketch channels—“That’s Dominican!” Tommy breaks down how the YouTube series exploded out of Washington Heights, gave a generation its first taste of Dominican meme-culture, and why the ride eventually slammed to a stop. They swap war stories on shooting guerrilla sketches in bodegas, then fast-forward to Tommy’s latest passion project: “La Factoria,” the live stand-up + music mash-up he co-created with comedian Ivan Manito. Expect behind-the-curtain details on selling out underground shows, building community with hookah instead of cover charges, and turning “Dominican time” into a branding superpower. The convo pivots—of course—to the internet rumor that Bad Bunny is half-Dominican; Tommy comes armed with receipts, Gadiel brings the jokes. Laughs, nostalgia, and a blueprint for indie Latino success all in one episode—press play!