ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joseph Perry writes for the film websites Gruesome Magazine, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, The Good, the Bad and the Verdict and Diabolique Magazine; for the film magazines Phantom of the Movies’ VideoScope and Drive-In Asylum; and for the pop culture websites When It Was Cool and Uphill Both Ways. He is also one of the hosts of When It Was Cool’s exclusive Uphill Both Ways podcast and can occasionally be heard as a cohost on Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast.
Official synposis: You Had To Be There is a hilarious, emotional, and revelatory documentary about the legendary 1972 Canadian production of Godspell that changed entertainment forever.The Toronto production of the musical about the life of Jesus starred a then-unknown cast of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, et al, with Paul Shaffer serving as musical director — a crazy confluence of talent rivaling “Paris in the ‘20s.” The production lit the spark that ignited the comedy revolution that followed, leading to Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and a host of movies and TV shows all the way up to Schitts’ Creek and Only Murders in the Building. The film features interviews with all the surviving members of the cast, plus Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Myers, and other show business luminaries who testify to the production’s profound and lasting influence. You Had To Be There also makes use of never-before-seen-or-heard archives from the cast, including rehearsal footage and rare audio recordings of the musical itself, as well as cast parties of the gang hanging out at Marty and Eugene’s apartment at 1063 Avenue Road late into the night, which shed joyful new light on this magical time and place. Executive produced by Judd Apatow.
Review: Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, and Victor Garber all got their true starts on their paths to their legendary comedy careers with the 1972 Toronto production of Godspell — and Paul Shaffer was right there, also kicking off his career by accompanying them on piano. The title for director Nick Davis’s 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) may be one of the weightier ones for a film in recent memory, but it certainly delivers what it promises.
The documentary blends interviews with cast members, the musical’s creators, and professionals in entertainment with (unexpected to the original cast members) rehearsal footage from the show, along with audio from the musical that Short recorded illegally and his recordings of parties and gatherings at the apartment that he shared with Levy at the time. The fact that Short still has audio tapes from the early 1970s and that they are still in such listenable shape is amazing and they add a great deal to the proceedings.
Naturally there is largely a light-hearted, feel-good tone to the documentary, but it is not without its more somber notes, as well. For example, Godspell cast member Avril Chown recalls how sexual abuse she suffered on The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show led to her leaving show business.
The documentary also explores how these performers changed the face of Canadian comedy, and their paths to success in the United States. As someone who loved Second City Television and liked the early days of Saturday Night Live, I found 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) to be a fascinating watch. Friendships and romantic relationships blossomed as these future comedy legends began honing their crafts together, with some friend connections in place before the Godspell production. Anyone who is a fan of these marvelous talents will find this documentary a wonderful watch.
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), from Greenwich Entertainment, has its U.S. Theatrical Premiere on Friday, September 18 at Film Forum in New York City. Nationwide theatrical expansion begins September 25.
