You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution…

On June 1, 1972, a humble production of a hit musical retelling of the Book of Matthew officially opened its run at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in downtown Toronto. As for what happened next, that may be most accurately expressed by the subtitle for Nick Davis’ celebratory documentary, You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way).

And that’s no empty boast about a bunch of singing hippies. Based solely on the bright futures of so many of the talents who formed the cast during the 14-month run — Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and Jayne Eastwood plus musical director Paul Shaffer — Godspell’s impact and influence cannot be overstated. The improvisational element of the musical itself helped foster a unique sensibility that comedy fans would soon recognize in Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and countless other TV shows and movies.