Even the most devoted comedy nerd may not realize how many truly iconic comedies of past and present might never have existed if it weren't for a single theatrical production. Everything from Only Murders in the Building and Schitt's Creek to SCTV and Saturday Night Live can be linked back to a 1972 Toronto production of Godspell, which boasted such not-yet-famous performers as Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood, and Paul Shaffer.
Incredibly, over its much raved about (and protested) 14-month run, not a soul thought to video record this production for posterity. So, 53 years later, documentarian Nick Davis aims to bring us back to this pivotal time and place with the preposterously and perfectly titled 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).
For the sake of brevity (and sanity), we'll refer to the film simply as You Had to Be There going forward. As in, You Had to Be There is so stuffed with interviews with comedy icons, remarkable anecdotes, and cheeky revelations that it's manna from heaven for comedy nerds.
You Had to Be There has an incredible obstacle and even more incredible interviews.
With a dismaying dearth of footage of the show itself, Davis instead relies on a two-pronged approach to usher audiences down memory lane for a bevy of comedy legends. First off, he offers interviews with much of the cast from the show's run, including Short, Levy, Thomas, Garber, Martin, Eastwood, Shaffer, Avril Chown, Don Scardino, Valda Aviks, and Rudy Webb.
Many of them are now in their 70s, and they have the refreshing give-no-fucks air that is perfect for documentaries, looking back with fondness and candor to a time when everything felt possible — and vaguely terrifying because of that. Davis' thoughtful collection of interviews takes us back to 1972 Toronto, where the stuffy culture of the Canadian city was set alight with the arguably sacrilegious clown show that was Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak's Godspell, a musical that depicted the story of Jesus Christ through parables and willfully silly theatrics.
Short, who laid out a lot of this history in his addictive memoir, I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend, proves an especially great interview, in part because of his lifelong dedication to keeping records of his work. However, You Had to Be There is most fun when the cut leaps from one individual interview to another, creating the sense that we're at a dinner party with some of the coolest people on the planet — recounting a party we weren't invited to. It's enchanting and bittersweet, especially as they talk about those who can't join the fun anymore, like Gilda Radner.
You Had to Be There is a movie for comedy lovers by comedy lovers, which means Davis won't spend extra screen time reminding audiences who his subjects are, or what they suffered. The expectation is that you know the broad strokes.
Radner's friends remember her, warts and all, but warmly, putting forth chiefly that even when she struggled with disordered eating and terminal cancer, she was a light for all around her. (For more — and and more complicated — stories of Radner, do read Martin's book, as they dated for years and remained close for decades after.)
For a greater sense of history beyond the personal, Davis invites some famous faces inspired by these groundbreakers for interviews. These talking heads include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janeane Garofalo, Heidi Garner, and Mike Myers. This works to swiftly pave a path of legacy and brings some added star power without derailing the narrative.
You Had to Be There employs animation to fill the gaps.
With little footage from the troupe's time in Toronto to pull from, Davis opts for animation in reenactments. This way, the audience won't be distracted by how well other actors are playing or impersonating modern comedy icons. By favoring a style of animation that's reminiscent of '70s cartoons like Schoolhouse Rock! and Scooby-Doo, Davis gifts us visuals that emotionally and artistically tie back to this era and its sense of free-love, optimism, and creative moxie.
Animators thoughtfully recreate the costumes from '72's Godspell, documented in promotional photos, and create caricatures of the twentysomething theater kids. This animation enhances the mischievous tone of many of the interviews. For instance, there's one story about how Levy's chest hair became a problem for producers, who feared a hirsute Jesus would be inappropriate for kids in the audience. (Remember how we noted 1972 Toronto was stuffy?) Well, as Short and Levy set up the story — one giddy, the other wry — the reveal of the compromise is illustrated through the cartoon as a sensationally silly punchline.
You Had to Be There gets serious, too.
Of course, looking back not only on this production but on 50-some years in show business, not all the stories are funny. Props to Davis, who gives voice to one player in particular, actress/singer Avril Chown. She uses this platform to finally share her story, which includes a harrowing tale of abuse that came after Godspell's cast had taken their final bow. Before she recounts her heartbreaking experience, she asks simply, "How much blood do you want to give for something you love?"
Rather than feeling exploitative or like a tangent, this sequence provides a counterbalance to the more convivial stories of showbiz. Because of course, clowns make us laugh, but sometimes they cry. To show only one side of this would be to sanitize comedians, actors, and performers who built their careers and legacies on taking risks.
Simply put, You Had to Be There gifts audiences plenty of laughs, and so much more. This is not some fluffy celebration of comedians or even Godspell. Davis and company have come together to craft a documentary that is both informative, historical, entertaining, and deeply humane.
These stars let us into this time of their lives in such a sublimely personal way that by the film's final revelation — a long lost clip of one song's performance — the audience gasps with excitement — just as its subjects do. The most incredible thing about You Had to Be There is that this film makes you feel like you were there, and these friends are your friends too.
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) was reviewed out its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
