Des McAnuff and his friend Colman DeKay enjoy a 17-minute tribute film by Martin Morawski featuring video tributes by Billy Crystal, the casts of "Jersey Boys" in New York and "The Wiz," playwright Lee Blessing and many others.

The film's highlight was a segment featuring Billy Crystal, star of McAnuff's Tony-winning production of "700 Sundays," teasing the director about his unique and colorful taste in clothing.

Tony-winning "Jersey Boys" star Christian Hoff flew in from New York to surprise McAnuff with a speech, a song and the final award presentation.

Hoff credits McAnuff with giving him the two biggest breaks in his career, roles in the La Jolla and Broadway productions of "The Who's Tommy" and "Jersey Boys."

Hoff sings a song to McAnuff, Rodgers and Hart's "I Could Write a Book," with lyrics rewritten about McAnuff.

McAnuff holds the Artistic Visionary Award.

McAnuff's speech recounts how reading the reviews of theater critics when he was growing up in Toronto shaped his love for theater.

McAnuff tells the audience how the need for creative, probing theater is critical, as is the need for intelligent theater criticism.

McAnuff's speech closes the program

Celebrating afterward with Craig Noel, Anne Marie Welsh, Jeff Smith and Des McAnuff.