Roesch NJJFF: You Had to Be There...

Featuring all-star interviews, this spirited documentary explores how Godspell’s 1972–73 Toronto run shaped modern comedy.

Closing Film

Post-screening Q&A with director Nick Davis

Director: Nick Davis
2025, United States, 98 minutes
English (subtitles are not available)
Documentary

The 1972-73 Toronto production of the hippie musical Godspell landed in the right place at the right time, with exactly the right people: Martin Short, Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, Jayne Eastwood, and musical director Paul Shaffer. The hit production, plus Toronto’s emerging comedy scene, served as talent incubators for Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and modern comedy as we know it.

Since no one filmed a performance of the show, we have to rely on the participants’ vividly-remembered stories and one cast member’s fortunate audio recording of one performance. Nick Davis’ loving documentary magically gathers all the living cast members for revealing interviews and brings the experience of this moment in comedy history to life with abundant photographs and groovy animation.

The film’s unabridged title says it best: 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).

Please note that English subtitles are not currently available for this film. We will update this listing should they become available. We at JCC MetroWest apologize to all who find this screening inaccessible as a result.

Sponsored by Sara-Ann & Robert Sanders