Thomas Kail

Thomas Kail (born January 30, 1978)[1] is an American theatre director, known for directing the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musicals In the Heights[2] and Hamilton, garnering the 2016 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for the latter. Kail was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018.

Thomas Kail
Born (1978-01-30) January 30, 1978
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
OccupationTheatre director
Spouse(s)
(
div. 2019)

​
(
m. 2020)
Children1
Awards

Personal life

Kail grew up in Alexandria, Virginia[3] and graduated from Sidwell Friends School in 1995 and subsequently from Wesleyan University in 1999.[4][5] He remains good friends with Lin-Manuel Miranda, with whom he met and co-created the freestyle hip-hop group "Freestyle Love Supreme".[6][7]

Kail began a relationship with theatre actress Angela Christian in 2006; they divorced in 2019.[8][9][10] In December 2019, it was announced that he was engaged to Fosse/Verdon actress Michelle Williams, who was expecting their first child together;[11] they married in March 2020.[12] Their child was born in June.[12]

Career

After graduating from Wesleyan University, Kail became assistant stage manager at New Jersey's American Stage Company.[13]

Kail directed the 24 Hour Plays benefit performances in 2007 and 2008, where "6 short plays are written, rehearsed, directed, and performed in 24 hours."[14] In 2007, he directed Julia Jordan's A Bus Stop Play, and Beau Willimon's Zusammenbruch in 2008. Both shows played at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway.[15]

Kail directed the hit Broadway musical In the Heights, which garnered him a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical.[16] The musical premiered on Broadway, starting in previews on February 14, 2008, with an official opening on March 9, 2008, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.[17]

Kail directed Broke-ology, which played from October 5, 2009, to November 22, 2009, at the Lincoln Center Theater Off-Broadway. This play garnered Kail an AUDELCO Award nomination for Best Director of a Dramatic Production.[18] Kail also staged the world premiere at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.[19] Also in 2009, Kail directed the New York City Center's Encores! production of the musical The Wiz.[20][21][22]

Kail directed Eric Simonson's play Lombardi, based on Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi through a week in the 1965 season, as he attempts to lead his team to the championship.[23][24][25] Lombardi officially premiered on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre on October 21, 2010.[26]

He then directed the Off-Broadway run of Nathan Louis Jackson's When I Come to Die, which ran in January and February 2011.[19][27]

Kail reunited with Lombardi playwright Eric Simonson on Magic/Bird, a new play chronicling the intertwined life stories of basketball Hall of Famers Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The play premiered on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre on March 21, 2012, in previews, officially on April 11, 2012, and closed on May 12, 2012. Kail directed, with the cast that featured Kevin Daniels as "Magic" Johnson and Tug Coker as Larry Bird.[28]

Kail continued his collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, directing the musical Hamilton in 2015, both Off-Broadway and on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award.[29]

Kail directed Grease: Live for Paramount Television, screened live on Fox on January 31, 2016;[30] the world premiere of Dry Powder with Hank Azaria, Claire Danes, John Krasinski and Sanjit De Silva which ran from March to May 2016 at The Public Theater in New York City;[31] and Tiny Beautiful Things, also at The Public, from November to December 2016.

On July 5, 2018, FX announced an eight-episode order for a limited-series entitled Fosse/Verdon, with Sam Rockwell playing the role of Bob Fosse and Michelle Williams playing the role of Gwen Verdon. On October 25, 2018, it was reported that Thomas Kail would direct at least four of the series' eight episodes. and he would go on to direct a total of five episodes. Kail was nominated for Outstanding Directing – Movies for Television and Limited Series by the Directors Guild of America for the episode "Nowadays."

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Critical Hours Director, writer, executive producer Television pilot
2008 Roadtrip Nation Himself TV episode
2009 Storymakers Director TV episode
In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams Himself Episode of PBS' Great Performances
The Electric Company Musical director TV series
2010 The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special Director Talk show episode
2012 2 Broke Girls Director TV series
3 episodes
2015 The Jack and Triumph Show Director TV series
2 episodes
2016 Grease: Live Director, co-executive producer Live TV special
2019 Fosse/Verdon Director, executive producer TV miniseries
5 episodes
2020 Hamilton[32] Director, producer Filmed stage production
TBA Silver Wings[33] Director Feature film
TBA Fiddler on the Roof[34] Director, producer Feature film

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2007 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical In the Heights Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
SDC Joseph A. Callaway Award Best Director Won
2008 Tony Award Best Director of a Musical Nominated
2010 AUDELCO Award Best Director of a Dramatic Production Broke-ology Nominated
2011 NAACP Award Best Director of a Musical In the Heights Won
AUDELCO Award Best Director of a Dramatic Production When I Come To Die Nominated
2014 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Play Family Furniture Nominated
2015 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Director Hamilton Won
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Director of a Musical Won
2016 Tony Award Best Direction of a Musical Won
Emmy Award Outstanding Special Class Program Grease: Live Won
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special Won
2018 Laurence Olivier Award Best Director Hamilton Nominated
Kennedy Center Honors (shared with Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire and Lin-Manuel Miranda) Won [35]
2019 Emmy Award Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special Fosse/Verdon
(Episode: "Who's Got the Pain?")		 Nominated
Outstanding Limited Series Fosse/Verdon Nominated
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References
  1. “Thomas Kail”, Internet Broadway Database.
  2. Bacalzo, Daniel. "In the Heights Director Thomas Kail Receives Martin E. Segal Award". Theatre Mania. May 10, 2010.
  3. "Thomas Kail" Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Lincoln Center Theater. July 31, 2009.
  4. American Theatre Wing. "Biographies – Thomas Kail, Director" Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, June 2009.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Playbill's Who's Who Biographies" Archived December 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Hetrick, Adam. "In the Heights Lin-Manuel Miranda Sets Freestyle Love Supreme Date at Irving Plaza" Archived January 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill. January 5, 2011.
  8. "A Grand Opening for the Roundabout's Heartbreak House". Broadway.com. October 11, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  9. "2016 Tony Awards - He/She Said What?! Relive the Acceptance Speeches: Updating LIVE!". BroadwayWorld. June 12, 2016. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. "Hamilton director Thomas Kail arrives for Kennedy Center Honors Gala in Washington DC". UPI. December 8, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. Fernandez, Alexia (December 30, 2019). "Michelle Williams Is Pregnant and Engaged to Hamilton Director Thomas Kail". People Magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  12. Waterhouse, Jonah (June 18, 2020). "Michelle Williams Gives Birth to Her Second Child in Lockdown". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  13. "Thomas Kail" broadway.com
  14. The Broadway League. 24 Hour Plays (2007) | IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information. Internet Broadway Database
  15. The Broadway League. 24 Hour Plays (2008) | IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information. Internet Broadway Database
  16. Kennedy, Mark. "Thomas Kail Enjoying His 'Year of Transition'". ABC News. December 10, 2010.
  17. Kenneth Jones. "In the Heights Will Play Broadway's Richard Rodgers Starting February 2008" Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.
  18. Brokeology. Lortel Archives/Internet Off-Broadway Database.
  19. Hetrick, Adam. Tony Nominee Kail and Jackson Will Collaborate for Upcoming LCT3 Season Archived June 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Playbill.
  20. "Thomas Kail to Direct The Wiz for New York City Center" TheaterMania. February 24, 2009.
  21. NY City Center's The Wiz listing
  22. Gans, Andrew. "The Wiz Ends Limited City Center Engagement July 5", playbill.com, July 5, 2009.
  23. "N.F.L. Gets Behind Lombardi". nytimes.com. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  24. Gans, Andrew and Jones, Kenneth. "Heights Director Kail to Direct Football-Themed Lombardi at Broadway's Circle in the Square" Archived June 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, April 14, 2010.
  25. Murray, Larry (May 18, 2010). "Lombardi". Berkshire On Stage. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  26. "Lombardi, IBDB: The Official Source for Broadway Information". The Broadway League. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
  27. When I Come To Die. Lortel Archives/Internet Off-Broadway Database.
  28. "Magic/Bird Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed September 26, 2015.
  29. "Thomas Kail Broadway" playbillvault.com, accessed September 25, 2015.
  30. "Grease:Live, About the Show" fox.com. Accessed February 2, 2016.
  31. "The Verdict: What Do Critics Think of Dry Powder?" by Olivia Clement, Playbill, March 23, 2016.
  32. Radulovic, Petrana. "Disney releasing filmed version of Hamilton in theaters in 2021". Polygon. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  33. Galuppo, Mia. "'Hamilton' Director to Helm WWII Female Pilots Movie 'Silver Wings'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  34. https://deadline.com/2020/05/fiddler-on-the-roof-mgm-movie-hamilton-director-thomas-kail-steven-levenson-dan-jinks-aaron-harnick-1202945586/
  35. Gans, Andrew (July 25, 2018). "Hamilton Creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire Will Receive Special Kennedy Center Honors". Playbill. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
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