You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls,

  • Rated Not Rated
  • 1hr 38m

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Nick Davis

Producer:

Bonnie Comley, Nick Davis, Stewart F. Lane

Writer:

Nick Davis, Jane Mendelsohn

Release Date:

Sep 18, 2026

Runtime:

1hr 38m

Synopsis

Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Paul Shaffer, and other entertainment icons got their start in a 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell. Featuring interviews with the surviving cast members, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Myers, and more, the film recounts a pivotal moment in comedy history, in hilarious, moving, and inspiring detail. Executive produced by Judd Apatow.

Cast

  • Mike Myers
  • Catherine O'Hara
  • Martin Short
  • Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • John Candy
  • Victor Garber
  • Janeane Garofalo
  • Eugene Levy
  • Dan Aykroyd
  • Heidi Gardner
Moviegoers are saying
Viewers treat this as a warm, funny, and occasionally weepy reunion of the 1972 Toronto Godspell cast, which launched careers for Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, and Martin Short. Reviewers are charmed by the archival audio (especially a 15-year-old Martin Short doing Sinatra) and the visible friendship among the surviving cast, though a few wish the final ten minutes had been cut. Most agree it's worth seeking out even for people who aren't theatre kids.
Top Mentions
Tear-Jerker
Cassette-Gold
Wormhole-Worthy
Clown-Power
Theatre-Kid-Approved
Found-Family-Goals
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.8
1.7K
885
683
RATINGS 3 FANS
3.8
  • Sep 26, 2026

    Loads of fun. Turns out that a sizable portion of the “Canadian Invasion” of the 1970s American comedy scene — Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Victor Garber, Paul Shaffer, Martin Short, and others — all launched their careers in a 1972 Toronto…

    156 Likes
    Adam Forrest
    Adam Forrest
    Sep 6, 2025

    making a doc to find out Martin Short dating tea is so valid

    89 Likes
    Liz Duff
    Liz Duff
    Sep 6, 2025

    yeah I know I had to be there, don't rub it in

    57 Likes
    tessa squissato
    tessa squissato
  •
    Sep 25, 2026

    “I wasn’t a female, I was a clown.” when avril chown said this about getting to be in godspell, I was like wow what a lovely thing to say when you are doing a certain kind of comedy where it’s not about gender it’s about being so true to the gag that it doesn’t matter! but…

    55 Likes
    Raina
    Raina
    Sep 7, 2025

    Genuinely amazing. A feat of archival audio (from Martin Short!) and animation and genuine joyous love between some of Canada's funniest performers. As someone who has had to research this before what they uncover is pretty astounding. Also you might just weep at all…

    51 Likes
    Cameron Maitland
    Cameron Maitland
    Sep 12, 2025

    damn it really doesn’t matter how many years go by, if you put a group of theatre kids together in one room they’re GONNA sing through their show !!

    44 Likes
    violet
    violet
  •
    Sep 6, 2025

    Brb buying a flux capacitor to create a spacetime wormhole that will take me back to June 1, 1972 at the Royal Alex and/or 1603 Avenue Road

    34 Likes
    phoebe 💫
    phoebe 💫
    Sep 12, 2025

    god bless Martin Short and his illegal audio cassette recording

    32 Likes
    emm_why
    emm_why
    Sep 29, 2026

    That cast. What a blast. A pleasure to watch… but I’m biased. Did about 20 performances as the Eugene Levy part (before he played Jesus) in a Midwest production way back in 1978.

    30 Likes
    Larry Karaszewski
    Larry Karaszewski

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Top Reviews
  • Marty
    Marty liked
    You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...

    Perfect rainy day movie for theater kids and comedy nerds of a certain age. Not a lot of there there, but pleasant enough

    1M

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long is You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026)?
The movie is 1hr 38min long.
What's You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026) about?
Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Paul Shaffer, and other entertainment icons got their start in a 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell. Featuring interviews with the surviving cast members, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Myers, and more, the film recounts a pivotal moment in comedy history, in hilarious, moving, and inspiring detail. Executive produced by Judd Apatow.
Who's the cast of You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026)?
  • Mike Myers
  • Catherine O'Hara
  • Martin Short
  • Lin-Manuel Miranda as Self
  • John Candy
  • Victor Garber as Self
  • Janeane Garofalo as Self
  • Eugene Levy
  • Dan Aykroyd
  • Heidi Gardner
Who's the director behind You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026)?
Nick Davis directed You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026).
Who produced You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026)?
Bonnie Comley, Nick Davis and Stewart F. Lane produced You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, (2026).