Full Casting Announced for MTC's Based on a Totally True Story, Starring Nielsen

Manhattan Theatre Club has announced that Carson Elrod, Erik Heger, Kristine Nielsen, and Michael Tucker will star in the world premiere production of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's Based on a Totally True Story. Directed by Michael Bush, the production begins previews on March 23 and opens on April 11 at New York City Center – Stage II (131 West 55th Street).

 

Casting for the role of Michael Sullivan will be announced at a later date.

 

"Ethan Keene (Elrod) is a young playwright and comic book writer who's on the verge of breaking through. When a veteran Hollywood producer (Nielsen) decides she wants to turn one of his plays into a horror movie, the frenzy that follows forces him to deal with the real drama in his life — his relationships with his boyfriend and his father (Tucker)," according to press notes.

Based on a Totally True Story was originally presented as part of MTC's 6@6 reading series, which presents new works in development. Previous plays that have been developed in the 6@6 series and then produced on MTC's stages include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Proof by David Auburn, Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire and Between Us by Joe Hortua.

Nielsen recently starred in Christopher Durang's Miss Witherspoon at Playwrights Horizons; she won an Obie Award for her performance in the same playwright's Betty's Summer Vacation. Broadway credits include A Streetcar Named Desire (the recent revival), The Green Bird, Jackie and The Iceman Cometh. She has appeared in almost two dozen plays off-Broadway--among them, Omnium Gatherum, The Underpants, Wonder of the World, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, As Bees in Honey Drown, Henry V and Measure for Measure.

Tucker, who played Stuart Markowitz on "L.A. Law," has appeared on Broadway in The Goodbye People, Trelawny of the "Wells," and Moonchildren. Off-Broadway credits include I'm Not Rappaport, Two Fish in the Sky, Flux, Modigliani, The Comedy of Errors, The Rivals and more. Elrod has appeared on Broadway in Reckless and off-Broadway in House & Garden and Comic Potential; other theatre credits include Noises Off, Cavedweller and Waiting for Godot. Heger recently appeared in the La Jolla production of The Scottish Play, and other credits (at the American Conservatory Theatre) include The Master and Margarita, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Of Thee I Sing.

 

Tickets are $48 and can be reserved by calling CityTix at (212) 581-1212. Group and student rates are available. For group ticket information, call (212) 399-3000 x 134. Student tickets are $25 and are on sale for all performances based on availability on the day of the performance, up to one hour before showtime. Call (212) 581-1212 for further information. MTC at New York City Center is accessible to people with disabilities and is equipped with a hearing augmentation system. 

 

For more information, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.