You Had to Be There

The 1970s were weird. There were drugs and disco, but also a weird flowering of hippie Chrisian revivalism. Passion plays were translated into “youth culture”-friendly Broadway musicals. Jesus Christ Superstar remains the most successful, but the more hippyish Godspell was also a sensation at the time. It was such a hit, the producers quickly launched regional stagings in major cities, including Toronto, where it became an unlikely incubator for a generation of Canadian comedy stars. The famous cast looks back on their first big gig in Nick Davis’s documentary, You Had to Be There [with the excessively long subtitle: “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”)], which opens today in theaters.

The show is based on the Gospel of Matthew and concludes with the Passion. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t sound like obvious comedy fodder. However, cast of characters mostly consists of modest followers, who are clownlike in appearance. The structure of the show leaves considerable room for improvisation, which suited the talents of many future Second City troupe members, notably including Martin Short, Eugene “Schitt’s Creek” Levy, Andrea Martin, and Dave “Strange Brew” Thomas. Jayne Eastwood (the Big Fat Greek Wedding movies) was also cast, while Victor Garber (Alias) starred as Jesus. Plus, the music director was Paul Schaefer.

Together, they made the show work, while also earning many laughs. It became a local sensation, attracting the attention of the producers and composer Stephen Schwartz, who cast Garber in the movie. Ironically, Levy was eventually elevated from the supporting cast, to replace his replacement.

The basic story of the Toronto production might sound vaguely familiar to 80s kids who remember watching Schaefer on the Letterman show back when it was still funny. It has become the stuff of show biz lore. Of course, there is no video record, because taping Broadway shows is illegal. Nevertheless, Short secretly brought a tape recorder to capture a few numbers, for which Davis will surely be eternally grateful.

Essentially, just lets viewers listen to the famous cast kvetching. Of course, they know how to land an anecdote. Not surprisingly, they have plenty to share. Yet, it is also rather endearing to see their comradery, especially when they all start singing the old songs during the reunion that closes the film.

The title is rather apt. The show features several jokey character-revealing songs that really need to be sold, but the Toronto cast could clearly land them. On the other hand, the show’s greatest hit, “Day by Day” still holds up. In fact, the reunion rendition sounds as stirring as ever. Arguably, this is a somewhat niche doc, but for viewers who grew up watching the cast on SCTV, SNL, and Letterman, it is pleasantly entertaining and highly nostalgic. Highly recommended for fans of the cast, You Had to Be There opens today (9/18) in New York, at Film Forum.