The point here is that your button request is not ajax, and componentControl is just client side control, not server side, from your description you have data to set/update before(right here? or at the same time?) popup, so you'd better use a4j:commandbutton instead of h:commandbutton.

<a4j:commandButton action="#{bean.doAction}"  ...  reRender="popupArea" oncomplete="#{rich:component('popupPanelId')}.show();">

  <f:setPropertyActionListener  .../>

</a4j:commandButton>

Do not use rich:componentControl, becuase your control is not just client side.

If you don't want to use ajax component, setting show attribute of rich:popupPanel EL expression value, you can control it in your bean action.

<rich:popupPanel show=#{bean.popupVisible}/>

Set default value false, and true when want it popups, and close action you should set popupVisible to false again.