Martin Short Shares First Impression of Gilda Radner in Godspell Documentary

Martin Short recalls that Gilda Radner's 1972 audition for the Toronto stage production of Godspell left a strong first impression, according to a new trailer for the documentary You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution.

In the trailer, Short says Radner auditioned wearing pigtails and singing "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." He remembers thinking, "That is the most tragic thing I've ever seen." The clip does not provide the full context of the remark.

The documentary looks back at the influential Godspell production, which featured future comedy stars including Martin Short, Eugene Levy and Victor Garber. Executive producer Judd Apatow and performers such as Mike Myers and Lin-Manuel Miranda also appear.

Short and Radner later dated on and off for several years after meeting during the production. Short married fellow Godspell cast member Nancy Dolman in 1980. Radner, an original Saturday Night Live cast member, later married musician G.E. Smith and then actor Gene Wilder before her death from ovarian cancer in 1989.

In a 2025 interview with Amy Poehler, Short described Radner as "the happiest person in the world" and said she was admired by everyone who knew her.

You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution opens at New York's Film Forum on Sept. 18 before expanding to theaters nationwide on Sept. 25.