Kail

As soon as I found out where you wor stopping I ran off directly on Mr. M'Kail's little business.

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Claudio Papapietro for The Wall Street Journal Thomas Kail, center, is the director of 'Magic/Bird,' a play about the '80s NBA rivals.

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011

Special Kail (UID#4815) on November 16th, 2009 at 6: 17 pm

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Special Kail (UID#4815) on October 27th, 2009 at 7: 15 pm

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The number was written on the fly during the show by In the Heights writer and director Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kail, the process of which is documented in this fascinating time-lapse video, including the moments just before Harris performs it, when he's reading it for the first time.

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"The process of how two people can become defined by one another is fascinating to me," said Kail, who was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for his direction of "In the Heights."

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011

But it's more important to Kail that he cast actors who have what he described as the right "essence."

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011

Director Thomas Kail, who also directed "Lombardi," said sports merely forms the framework of the play.

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011

"We want the most die-hard basketball fan to walk in and say, 'Yeah, they did it right, that was real,'" Kail said.

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011

There needs to be at least a marginal physical resemblance, Kail said.

A Basketball Rivalry Fit for the Stage Scott Cacciola 2011