"You Had to Be There" Review: Before They Became Legends, Godspell Brought Them Together

Some moments in entertainment history make you look back at everyone involved and wonder how so much talent ended up in the same room. Director Nick Davis explores one of those moments in “You Had to Be There,” an engaging documentary about the 1972 Toronto production of “Godspell” that featured Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Paul Shaffer, and several other performers before they became household names.

I have to admit, while I was familiar with nearly everyone involved, I had no idea so many of their careers intersected this early. That alone makes the documentary fascinating. Written by Davis and Jane Mendelsohn, “You Had to Be There” could have easily become a straightforward collection of famous people reminiscing about the old days. Instead, Davis focuses on why this production became such an important creative moment.

The surviving cast members recall arriving at “Godspell” as young performers still figuring out their careers. Nobody knew Eugene Levy would become a comedy legend. Martin Short was not yet one of the most recognizable personalities in show business. Paul Shaffer hadn't become David Letterman’s musical sidekick, and Gilda Radner hadn't yet made history on “Saturday Night Live.” They were simply talented young people who found one another at exactly the right time.

Naturally, Short and Levy provide some of the documentary’s funniest moments, but Davis wisely gives everyone room to tell their story. Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Shaffer, and the remaining cast members paint a picture of a production that became much more than another acting job. The film becomes especially touching whenever the conversation turns to Radner. Knowing the impact she would eventually have on comedy — and how young she was when she died — adds an unavoidable layer of emotion to the memories shared by those who knew her before the rest of the world did.

Davis does face one challenge. There simply isn’t much footage available from the original Toronto production. To compensate, the documentary uses photographs, archival recordings, animation, and other visual techniques to recreate the period. For the most part, it works, though some animated sequences start to feel repetitive.

The documentary also features commentary from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mike Myers, Heidi Gardner, Janeane Garofalo, James Austin Johnson, Gary Gulman, and others who help put the group’s influence into perspective. While those appearances are appreciated, the movie is strongest when Davis lets the original performers simply talk. Their chemistry remains intact more than fifty years later.

Ultimately, “You Had to Be There” works because it isn’t really about “Godspell.” The production serves as a doorway into a larger story about friendship, creativity, timing, and a group of young performers who helped shape comedy without realizing it. Sometimes the right people really do end up in the right place at the right time.

After nearly two hours of hearing their stories, I found myself thinking exactly what the title suggests. Damn, it would’ve been nice to have been there.