ABSTRACT
Big River (1985; Tony Award), The Who’s Tommy (1993; Tony Award), and the Matthew Broderick revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1995).
One of his earliest musical theatre influences came when he was still in high school: Hair (1968; directed by Tom O’Horgan) spoke to McAnuff and his rock ‘n’ roll generation. He would eventually audition
for the Toronto company and for O’Horgan himself. Although he was not selected for “the Mississauga tribe,” the experience gave him the confidence to begin writing and composing his own projects for the
theatre. He involved himself in every facet of play production in high school, from writing and composing to acting and directing. Once in college, he developed a broader interest in theatre beyond just the
musical form. “I also found that rock ‘n’ roll, if you like, had more of an influence in serious drama than it did in musical theatre. Musical theatre was really developing from that kind of ’50s tradition. There
are exceptional geniuses like Sondheim, but for the most part, it’s a different kind of music than the music that interested me, and for the most part still interests me.” During his college years, he put aside his
other interests (including directing) in favor of playwriting. Here he received invaluable hands-on tutorials in the professional Canadian theatre, by working with a number of professional directors on various
productions of his plays. “That really was my education,” he claims. Following that period, he returned to directing with renewed insight. Both Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse indirectly influenced
McAnuff’s understanding of the musical. “I didn’t get to know either of them directly, but I’ve worked with a lot of people that worked with both of them, and I daresay they’ve been an influence
through those other people.” Other influences include producer Joseph Papp, Michael Langham of the Stratford Festival in Ontario, and the Canadian director John Hirsch. Not only did these individuals pass
along valuable knowledge, they also gave McAnuff important support
for his work. Although he is an advocate of educational theatre as a training
ground for professional artists (having worked closely with the graduate
program at U.C. San Diego while at La Jolla), he believes the director learns primarily through practical experience. “Theoretical knowledge is a wonderful thing, and it’s important to acquire as much of it as
possible, but when push comes to shove, you have to get into the trenches yourself and do the work.” New directors must also develop their own unique voice: “You can’t go see a great Bob Fosse production,
and then just ape it and expect it to achieve much. You have to find your own way.” Ultimately, he sees the director’s best education coming from the artist’s peers and contemporaries. “They’re going to be your
harshest critics, and probably your most effective teachers. You learn from each other, and you learn on the job.” Therein lies the catch, according to McAnuff: How does the director get the directing job?
