Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Victor Garber, Gilda Radner... The Big Canadian Moment that Changed American Comedy

The 1972 Toronto Cast of Godspell. (L-R) Avril Chown, Victor Garber, Valda Aviks (in front), Gilda Radner, Gerry Salsberg, Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Rudy Webb. Music Director not pictured: Paul Schaffer.

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The 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell has become the stuff of legend. Tom Hanks and Conan O’Brien wax poetic about how they wish they could have seen it. A generation of comedy legends started their trajectory to stardom in it, and that remarkable cast of young talents would go on to shape the idea of funny for decades to come. 

So what does it sound like when Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Jayne Eastwood and Paul Shaffer — all still in their early 20s — take the stage at once? North Americana producer Lia Grainger speaks with those lucky enough to be a part of that magical show, along with those who saw it and those who were simply travelling in its orbit. On this episode, we piece together a sense of their world, and how this collective powder-keg of comedic talent ended up in the same place at the same time, almost half a century ago.

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The Toronto Theatre District is a part of the Toronto Entertainment District in Downtown Toronto that contains the largest concentration of stage theatres in Canada. It is the third largest English-speaking theatre district in the world, after West End in London and Broadway in New York City. Check out the links below to learn more about the famed 1972 Godspell production or to start planning a Toronto Theatre getaway.

A great Godspell fan site
The Theatre Museum of Canada
Historic Toronto
Toronto Theatre
Stars in the House
The Actors Fund

LISTEN NOW: Jay Kipps Band (thanks for the amazing theme song!)