In 1972 and 1973 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre here in Toronto, almost everything we know about modern comedy was born. The cast included Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, Victor Garber and Dave Thomas. From the seeds planted by this special group being brought together sprang SCTV and SNL, not to mention so many other cultural comedic touchstones.

And it happened right here in TO.

Nick Davis takes us back to the 70s with some fun retro looking animation, bootlegged audio of the performances, and interviews with the iconic cast.

If you saw the John Candy: I Like Me doc, this one makes a perfect companion piece and is as equally funny and moving. Davis introduces us to the all the players, as if they need an introduction, takes through auditions, rehearsals, performances, and what happened after.

It was lightning in a bottle, and it still resonates to this day.

And I think, like a number of people in my generation, my high school put on a production of Godspell, and I remember it vividly. And I hadn’t heard some of these songs for a couple of decades, and the memories they stirred in me were almost as poignant as the ones on the screen.

It’s amazing seeing names like Paul Schaffer, Levy, Short, and others talking about coming together as a cast during the auditions, and that the chemistry was palatable from the off. And that friendships, and legends were born that have endured to this day.

Davis’ doc is insightful, smart, funny, hearbreaking, and is undeniably cinema magic.

Somehow this subject has never been covered in a documentary before, and it’s unfortunate that there’s no footage from any of the performances. To see this, with this cast, all on the cusp of greatness, would have been something.

This is a must for musical theater lovers, comedy fans, and Canadians. Honestly, this has been a great TIFF for loving the Canadian.

You Had to Be There screens one last time on Friday at 9:30pm.