Thomas Kail

Thomas Kail is an American theatre and television director whose stage work has been created with writer-performer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Kail and Miranda attended Wesleyan University, and their partnership shaped the productions of In the Heights and Hamilton. Kail directed both musicals to Broadway, overseeing productions around Miranda's writing and performance. He also directed the Broadway transfer of Freestyle Love Supreme, the improvised hip-hop show developed by Miranda, Anthony Veneziale, and others. Beyond theatre, Kail directed and executive-produced the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon, a dramatization of the professional and personal relationship between choreographer Bob Fosse and dancer Gwen Verdon. In the Heights began as a production at the 37 Arts Theatre in 2007 and opened on Broadway in 2008. Kail directed a story set over three days in Washington Heights, where its characters find community. The plot follows Usnavi, who runs a bodega, while Nina returns home after leaving Stanford and residents confront pressure, romantic uncertainty, and the possibility of departure. The Broadway production won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical. Kail received a Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Musical, and Miranda won awards for his score and performance. It then made their collaboration nationally prominent. Hamilton reached the Public Theater in 2015 before opening on Broadway later that year. Kail directed a musical recounting the life of Alexander Hamilton through a cast and musical language drawing on hip-hop as well as other styles. Miranda played Hamilton in the Broadway cast, while Leslie Odom Jr. played Aaron Burr, the narrator, Hamilton's rival. The musical follows Hamilton from his arrival in New York through the Revolutionary War, service under Washington, the new financial system, and his duel with Burr. Hamilton won eleven Tony Awards in 2016, including Best Musical, with Kail winning Best Direction of a Musical. Kail's screen work also includes film and television. He directed Hamilton, a filmed stage production recorded with its original Broadway cast and released by Disney+ in July 2020. The film preserves the stage production, combining cinematic footage from performances with material filmed without an audience. Kail also directed Fosse/Verdon for FX; the 2019 limited series starred Sam Rockwell as Fosse and Michelle Williams as Verdon. Its narrative covers collaborations including Cabaret, Chicago, and the Broadway musical Pippin, while examining Fosse's infidelity and perfectionism. Kail was among the series' executive producers. His work connects stage direction, filmed Hamilton, and Fosse/Verdon drama.