Watching Nick Davis’ new film, I’m transported back to 1971, sitting in a crowded Broadway theater, mesmerized as the actors sing and dance, filling the stage with their energy in “Godspell.” But this moving and often hilarious documentary, playing at the M.V. Film Center on Oct. 9, isn’t about the New York production. Davis’ title says it all: “You Had to Be There: How the Toronto ‘Godspell’ Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love and Overalls, and Created a Community that Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way).”
The thing is, you didn’t have to be there, because Davis masterfully captures the confluence of vibrant talent that came together for this 1972 production, a reinterpretation of the Gospel of St. Matthew. The Toronto production of the musical about the life of Jesus starred a then-unknown cast, including Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, and Dave Thomas — a good portion of the comedy royalty who would go on to blaze unprecedented careers.
Paul Shaffer served as musical director. The music is at the heart of “Godspell,” and you get that goosebumpy feeling from hearing the familiar songs right away. During the opening credits, an audio recording (illegally made by Short at the time) of “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” builds in intensity as the song goes on.
Davis uses direct-to-camera interviews with the cast, set against different colored backdrops, to evoke the colorful “Godspell” aesthetic. Although Gilda Radner is no longer with us, the others tell their story, from auditions onward, with wit and humor, about how they became involved in the production. Rarely seen or heard archival footage, including rehearsal and opening-night clips, captures the moment’s essence and brings the actors’ memories to life. For instance, watching a young Victor Garber sing “Save the People,” you can understand why he received a standing ovation during his audition for the show.
To capture that magical moment in time, the animation is bright and poppy, cartoon-style, as if it had been made in the ’70s, a delightful mash-up of Scooby-Doo and “Yellow Submarine.” “You Had to Be There” also includes audio of the gang hanging out after the show late into the night, being silly and riffing off one another, reflecting the closeness the cast developed in just a few months.
The film follows the performers after they left the show, as they went on to Second City, “Saturday Night Live,” “SCTV,” films, and TV shows, all the way up to “Schitt’s Creek.” Their friendships kept them in touch, and the final scene, in which everyone gathers in New York for one of their reunions, is immensely moving. Fifty-four years later, they sing the songs with the gusto and beauty that made the show such a hit.
In an interview, Davis says about making the film, “I now understand the brilliance of the musical “Godspell” itself — which has an unfair reputation among those who don’t actually know the show. Far from being sappy, it is radical. John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz’s reinterpretation of the Gospel of St. Matthew is truly revolutionary in that it actually returned the story to the essence of Jesus’ teachings, namely, to love your neighbor.” Davis adds about his goal, “So my own desire to celebrate this magical moment is also, I guess, a tribute to youth — to everyone’s youth, when working and playing with your best friends is a dream that you never want to end.”
“You Had to Be There” screens at the M.V. Film Center on Friday, Oct. 9. For tickets and more information, visit mvfilmsociety.com.
