Bloom & Wolf's INSOMNIA: A NEW MUSICAL to Play MITF This Summer

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf.

Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016. *Member, Actors' Equity Association.

At thirty-whatever, Brad Harrison has had tremendous success writing for young adult television, but he can't help but feel that something important is missing from his life. Family? Love? Artistic fulfillment? Over the course of a single sleepless night we learn (and meet) all the reasons that are keeping him up, and he won't rest (literally) until he can figure it out.

Producer: Andrew Benvenuti; Music Direction: James Followell; Scenic Designer: Scott Michael Salome; Costume Designer: Ellen Pyne; Media Designer: ; Casting Director: Jamibeth Margolis; Production Stage Manager: Spencer Whale; Graphic Design: James Did It!; Publicist: Paul Siebold/Off Off PR.

Insomnia plays for four performances on the following schedule: Tues 8/02, 7:45pm; Wed 8/03, 7:45pm; Fri 8/05, 6:00pm; Sun 8/07, 1:45pm. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at www.midtownfestival.org or by calling 212-352-3101. The runtime for Insomnia is 110 minutes with one intermission.

While the skyline currently glitters with theatre festivals, there was a time when the Midtown International Theatre Festival was one of only two! John Chatterton has helped set the gold standard for presenting new and exciting independent theatrical works in New York. This year - with a booming variety section, a prominently-placed Short Play Lab, a burgeoning Short Film Lab, nearly 60 productions - with a record number of musical presentations (including an opera) - as well as an astounding number of international works, the 17th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival once again proves itself to be one of the best reasons to stay in New York in July!

Theo Wolf (book) is a graduate of Cornell University, where he majored in Humor and won the Heermans-McCalmon Award for Dramatic Writing. His produced work includes The Park Bench Play (Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 2016), 100 Aker Wood (Thespis Festival, 2015), and King's Gambit (Cornell University, 2013), as well as contributions to the web-series Science IRL (2015-2016). After two years in Los Angeles, he now lives in Ithaca, where he works as a reference specialist at Cornell and as artistic associate at The Cherry, a new performing arts company. Theodore is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.

Charles Bloom (composer/lyricist) has written the book, music and lyrics to Pablo (about the young life of Picasso), Heaven Knows and the scores to Insomnia (Book by Theo Wolf) and This Will All Be Yours (Book by Laura Pedersen). The list of artists to perform/record songs from his extensive, stylistically diverse catalogue includes: Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Christine Ebersole, Howard McGillin, Aaron Lazar, Michael Feinstein, Cheyenne Jackson, Jason Graae, Josh Grisetti, Vicki Lewis, Gregory Jbara and many others. Charles has contributed material to countless cabaret acts, special events and charities. Revues of his songs have been presented in cities all over the world. Archives of his material are held by the Musical Theatre Depts. of over 30 universities in the US and abroad. His CD Music and Lyrics by Charles Bloom: IN HERE (Produced and Orchestrated by David Snyder) was recorded by a live 20-piece orchestra with 16 of the finest talents on Broadway. Originally from Los Angeles, Charles lives in New York City and studied Music Composition and Psychology at NYU. He is a member of The Dramatists Guild and ASCAP. www.charlesbloomusic.com

Ovi Vargas (director) is a director, dramturge, writer and choreographer. A graduate of the Boston Conservatory and a veteran of over 300 shows, Ovi's career spans the entire spectrum of show business from theatre to cabaret to cruise ships to television to film. He has worked nationally and internationally as an actor, singer, dancer, stunt man, director, choreographer, playwright, dramaturge, play-doctor, acting teacher, stage combat coordinator, and has served as artistic director of Stoneham Summer Theatre, Mission Hill Theatre Company in Boston and the Glove Theatre in upstate New York. Ovi has also served as the resident director at the Third Eye Repertory, the Westside Repertory in New York, Madmen and Dreamers in New York and Millbrook Playhouse in Pennsylvania. Recent projects include; the off-Broadway productions of Children of Children and Ferry Tales, the first New York revival of Urinetown, he wrote and directed the independent film Cobra's Wish, and co-wrote and directed the off-Broadway stage productions of Latin Heat and S*x! The Musical. His award winning play Red Hook was optioned for Broadway. Other current projects include a Sitcom pilot under consideration, titled The Good Fella, a one-hour dramatic series called The Line (in development) and a coming of age period film, also under consideration, title "King of the Maypole" and the animated feature title "The Christmas Tree." His latest play Roamin' Catholic (A comedy) recently premiered at Footlights Theatre at In Falmouth Maine and his latest musical What Would Esther Williams Do in a Situation Like This? is slated to premiere at TheatreZone in Naples, Florida. Selected past New York directing credits include: A Lie of the Mind, The Dining Room, The Big Funk, Leaded, Steel Magnolias, The Nerd, Godspell with Stephen Schwartz and the thirtieth anniversary production of Hair in New York just to name a few. Currently Ovi is the Artistic Diretor of Theater by the Bay in New York.

Meet the Cast:

Chris Brick* - Off-Broadway: Judy and Me (St. Luke's Theater) and Chautauqua! (Public Theatre). National Tour: Seussical (dir. Marcia Milgrom Dodge). Regional: Hello, Dolly! starring Vicki Lewis and Gary Beach (Barnaby, Maltz Jupiter Theatre), Mary Poppins (Robertson Ay, Kansas City Starlight), The Will Rogers Follies (Gateway Playhouse), Cabaret (Emcee), Speech & Debate(Howie) and She Loves Me (Arpad). Readings/Workshops: Darling (Nibs), Admissions (Freddie) and Back to the Future (George McFly). Film: "Cheerleader" and "The Cage." Proud graduate of Pace University. www.chrisbrick.net
Dennis Holland* - Broadway/National Tour- The Music Man, Peter Pan; Regional- Guys and Dolls (Guthrie), Sound of Music (Paper Mill), 1776 (Goodspeed), Parade (Arden, Barrymore nominee 2014), Winter's Tale (Folger Shakespeare), Fabulous Lipitones (Colony Burbank); Film/TV - "My Dirty Little Secret," "Concurrence" (Cannes 2016), "Terra Incognita," "Between The Fires," "Slapdash Vendetta," "Stardom;" "175 Audiobooks (Audiofile Earphone Award). dennisholland.info
Lauren Lukacek* - Tours: R + H's Cinderella (First National - u/s Marie, u/s Madame), My Fair Lady (Int'l - u/s Eliza). Regional: Sound of Music (Maria), White Christmas (Betty), Beauty and the Beast (Babette); Edith Stein (York Theatre Co.), Genesius (TADA - World Premiere), plus North Shore Music Theater, Ogunquit Playhouse, Engeman Theater. B.F.A. Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory. Lauren is also a comedy writer and novelist. www.laurenlukacek.com

Jesse Manocherian* has played Leo Frank in Parade in Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh. Other favorite credits include: The Hidden Sky, Seussical, The Baker's Wife, Opa!, Falsettos, The Wild Party. Readings, workshops, and concerts with Yale Rep, The Director's Co., the New York Theatre Barn, the Cell Theatre, and the ADL, among others. A graduate of Northwestern University, he is a founding member of the Brass Tacks Theatre Collective, a proud member of Actor's Equity, and thrilled to be in this company. www.jessemano.com
Tyler Milliron* owns and operates Milliron Studios (www.millironstudios.com), a Production Company primarily focusing on musically driven video content. Proud member of AEA. www.tylermilliron.com
Anette Michelle Sanders* - Recent NY appearances include Bev/Kathy in Clybourne Park and Maria Carson in Rachel: A New Musical. Broadway/National Tours include Mamma Mia! (Rosie u/s) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Madison Square Garden. Favorite regional credits include Neil Simon's The Dinner Party (Mariette - original cast w/ Henry Winkler, John Ritter, Len Cariou) at the Mark Taper Forum and Kennedy Center, Sweeney Todd (Beggar Woman), King Lear (Goneril), and Elaine in three different productions of Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Proud member of Actors' Equity.
Philip Skinner - Regional; Reagle: Carousel, LOOK: A Funny Thing...(Hysterium), Avenue Q (Rod u/s), Gypsy, Shenandoah: Mary Poppins, Spamalot, The King and I, Man of La Mancha (Pedro), Favorite NYU credits: Drowsy Chaperone (Robert), Kiss Me Kate (Paul/Hortensio), Grand Hotel. Collaborator with Grammy Nominee Chandrika Tandon; Soul Chants Music.