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Event Details
Event type: Licensed
You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...
Nick Davis’ high-spirited documentary reveals how a humble Toronto run of the hippie musical Godspell became an historic incubator for modern comedy.
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.
As Davis’ film reveals, the Toronto Godspell was a hugely formative experience in the lives of the participants, too. With its deft mix of engaging interviews with surviving participants, animated recreations, and other means of compensating for the scarcity of original archival materials (if only audience members had smartphones in 1972), You Had to Be There brings this special time back into the present with an irrepressible sense of joy.
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This event is part of the following series:
Creemore Film Club
February 20, 2026 - November 20, 2026
2 Other Events in this Series
Creemore Film Club Presented by Purple Hills Arts & Heritage Society and Creemore Village Green
Creemore Film Club will be at Avening Community Centre in Avening, ON on Friday, September 25, 2026.Doors Open at 6:00PM EDT, and the Show Starts at 7:30PM EDT. Creemore Film Club includes You Had to Be There. Avening Community Centre is located at 3401 County Rd 42, Avening, ON.Cutoff is Friday, September 25, 2026 4:29 pm EDT unless it sells out earlier.
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