Comic troupe of Lassy, MC & Chad goes from stage to screen

It’s not easy to tell what comedy exactly means, but we know it when we see or hear it, especially from people who have the talent to bring that feeling of happiness and make us leave our worries behind.

Lassy, MC Muah and Chad Kinis are among those who can put everyone in stitches without trying too hard. Those who have seen them perform on stage or act in films and on television would agree that there is something in the way they tell their stories that makes you want to listen and laugh and enjoy the moment.

The trio’s style of delivery is oftentimes in a deadpan manner with Lassy leaning towards self-deprecating humor with deeply personal material, borrowing heavily from personal life experiences and relationships.

The comic troupe has been performing stand-up for many years now in comedy bars Punchline and Laffline that introduced them to comedy circles.

MC said the success of their show can easily be gauged on the kind of response they get from the audience.

“Sa stage, may response agad mapa-comedy bars man yan, concert abroad o raket sa probinsya. Alam mo na agad ‘pag nagustuhan ‘yung show,” said MC, who also revealed that there are those who sometimes get offended by their jokes.

He went on to tell how Lassy, whose comedy material once touched our politics, offended someone who threatened his dear life.

“May napikon sa joke ko at inabangan ako sa labas tapos lalo kong inasar. Sabi ko, ‘O, napikon ka, inaabangan mo ko d’yan sa labas. Sorry ka, dito ako matutulog,’” recalled Lassy, who does and says what most of us wish we had the courage to do.

“The bar owner advised Lassy not to go home and spend the night inside the bar, instead. Kaya kami naman ni Chad, sinamahan namin siya. We were able to get home around five in the morning of the following day,” MC added.

Chad said they write their materials but more often than not, their humor comes out naturally on stage. “Mas marami ‘yung bigla na lang nangyayari. I don’t know how because, for us, comedy is magic. I cannot read what’s on the minds of Kuya MC and Lassy, but once they start talking, I would right away know what to say next.”

Lassy and Chad agreed how MC described the big difference between doing comedy on stage and on screen.

“It’s tough to do comedy on screen — whether in film or on TV — because there are restrictions when it comes to throwing your punchlines because there are many young viewers, may mga bata,” MC remarked.

They are also required to follow instructions from the directors “kaya may kaba lagi na hindi namin nararanasan sa comedy bars,” he added.

MC, Chad and Lassy shared that directors have preferences in the manner they do their comedy acting.

They recalled how director Wenn Deramas would like them to make a significant move “na acting na parang malaki ang galaw,” MC ruminated.

Director Cathy Garcia-Molina, they disclosed, is a fan of natural acting talent. “Gusto niyang comedy ay yung natural lang, walang big movement,” Chad pointed out.

Although they enjoy a higher pay in comedy bars, their onscreen visibility is a great advantage for them to be easily recognized by the public.

Outside of stand-up, MC, Lassy and Chad have successfully positioned themselves on the digital platform. They are collectively known as Beks Battalion on their YouTube channel, now with over two million subscribers.

“We first worked together in Punchline and Laffline comedy bars, pero kami ni Lassy talaga ‘yung noon pa magkasama. Si Chad naging anak-anakan namin, lalo na ako kasi madalas ako ang nag-di-direk ng anniversary shows ng Punchline at Laffline. Siya ‘yung laging writer ko kasi ‘yung mga hindi ko naiisip, naiisip niya,” MC enthused.

“Chad really has a brilliant mind. He was second runner-up in Miss Q&A (one of the popular segments of It’s Showtime). And then, Chad is also into vlogging and it was him who convinced me to try it because according to him, I’m so talkative,” he added.

MC was initially not interested because he was occupied with many projects back then. But with much prodding from Chad, he agreed to do it only if the three of them would be together in one channel.

“I asked him what our name would be and Chad suggested that we call ourselves the Beks Battalion. So, a month before the pandemic, we uploaded our first video which became a trending topic. Kami ang kauna-unahan sa comedy bar na nag-YouTube,” MC offered.

The trio then convinced their friends in comedy bars to also try vlogging after they were left without work during the height of the lockdown.

Chad couldn’t be any happier at the way things have gone so far in their careers. “When we celebrated our first anniversary, we dreamt of having a concert, and it became a reality. Then while we were in Singapore, I had this story concept in mind and I told MC about it. Last thing we knew, we were both crying. But it took two years for it to be translated into a movie due to funding. Syempre, hindi basta-basta makakahanap ng taong magtitiwala sa‘yo at first time ko pa mag-di-direk, ” he stated.

Chad was referring to their first movie, Beks Days of Our Lives, which also happens to be his directorial debut.

Released under Viva Entertainment, Beks Days of Our Lives tells the story of three close friends, Richard (Chad), Melvin (MC) and Reggie (Lassy). When one of them is diagnosed with a serious illness, the trio embarks on a vacation to experience what they described as “beks days of our lives.”

Chad said he almost gave up on his dream of directing a movie. He would try getting into different film productions but luck seemed to be elusive. However, director Roman Perez Jr. encouraged him to hold on to his dream. “Noong nagkita kami sa isang party, sabi niya, ‘Huwag kang tumigil. Pitch lang ng pitch hanggang may makuha,’ kasi for a time hindi ko na binalikan ‘yung concept.”

Chad’s winning moment can serve as a good reminder for everyone to just keep on going no matter what because success truly comes to those who dare and act.