Monthly Archives: August 2013

Cincinnati, OH – August 21, 2013 – Inspiring Arts Group’s new musical, HORIZONS OF GOLD, will make its premiere on a local stage September 13th at Parrish Auditorium in Hamilton, Ohio.

HORIZONS OF GOLD, inspired by the biblical story of Ruth, is set in the heartland of America during the Great Depression. “It tells the story of people who refused to lose hope in the midst of very desperate circumstances,” said Beth Kenniv, playwright and director. “I reset the original story to show the timelessness of it’s message. Just as Bernstein’s West Side Story repackages the message of Romeo and Juliet, I believe HORIZONS OF GOLD reimagines an old story, bringing new life to it.” Kenniv explained.

Audiences will find the parallels to the original story striking. The basic ideas of a famine, a family who moves to a foreign land, and a woman, who is a foreigner, becomes part of the family. It’s an ancient story reset in the context of American history.

Rose is a young Mexican migrant looking for a second chance when her path crosses with Margaret Thomas, a displaced Dust-Bowl farmwife in California in 1938. These two women make their way back to Margaret’s home in Kansas and the story unfolds.

This full scale musical is appropriate for the entire family with powerful music and lively dance numbers, but mature as it deals with real human suffering. “As a director, I am contantly searching for wholesome theatrical pieces with compelling storylines. As I read the story of Ruth, I realized that it tells of the human struggle and the beauty of redemption. I loved the characters and story – believing it contained great material for powerful theatre,” Kenniv said.

HORIZONS OF GOLD is being produced by Inspiring Arts Group, a newly formed arts organization led by Beth Kenniv, playwright and director, Jeff Smith, composer, James Kenniv, composer and Dave Thompson, lyricist.

“The music brings this story to life. It’s been wonderful to work with three very gifted musicians and composers. I believe audiences will experience the beauty of a Rogers and Hamerstein’s – type melody and orchestration but the feel of a contemporary sound,” Kenniv said.

HORIZONS OF GOLD opens Friday, September 13th and runs through Sunday, September 22nd at Miami University’s Parrish Auditorium in Hamilton. For more information, visit www.horizonsofgold.com.

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Cast:

• Rose: Kennedy Carstens/Kendall Hart
• John Bollen: Phil Nelson
• Margaret Thomas: Karie-Lee Sutherland
• Lawrence Thomas: Dirk Doebereiner
• Edward Thomas: Dave Kenniv
• Opal: Victoria Shields
• Nettie: Madison Kilgore/Jenna VanWeelden
• Pearl: Kaitlyn Rawlings/Audrey Cornett
• Alice: Emily Farnell
• Hester: Diane VanWeelden
• Birdie: Kailey Schneider
• William: Brent Knipper
• Charlie: Michael Viox
• Hank: Taylor Robinette
• Clarence: Colin Cranstoun
• Otis: Brent Knipper
• Ensemble: Hannah Keeton, Alex Wiles, Keegan Redslob, Mary Bistline, Warren Bistline, Abby Bowling, Joshua Kenniv, Sam Bennett, Evelyn Kenniv, Elisha Kenniv, Nicole Niven, Felicity Kenny, Olivia Wiles, Gianna LaRocca, Anna Camerer, Austin Kershaw, Jake Kenniv, Josiah Kenniv, John Kenniv, Lucas Meinerding, Leah Smith, Claire Smith, Abby Kenniv, Teressa Kenny, Hillary Truax, Grace Bennett, Kate Koch, Megan Peters, Faith Marsh, Quinn York, Arthur Hart, Dave Thompson, Brandon Baumann, Dave Robinette, Emily Scheie, Magaly Lannum, Kristen Kenniv, Karen Kilgore & Gail Allen

Inspiring Arts Group
elevating the mind, awakening the heart, restoring the spirit

Inspiring Arts Group is a newly formed arts organization with a diverse mix of experience and talent in the creative and performing arts led by Beth Kenniv, Jeff Smith, James Kenniv and Dave Thompson.

Inspiring Arts Group desires to create relevant, artistic, wholesome yet challenging pieces of art that recapture beauty, reveal truth, and reclaim the essence of the performing arts through great melodies, orchestration, and powerful story.

Our Story…
Inspiring Arts Group was birthed through the development of its first musical production, HORIZONS OF GOLD. In early 2012, Beth had a story idea for a musical but didn’t move forward until both James and Jeff separately had asked her to write with them. In April, the story took off and the context and characters came with little effort. Beth wrote all summer and she, Jeff and James started composing music in September, but the lyrics were a missing piece. Then, after years of not seeing each other, Beth was reconnected with long-time friend and Lyricist, Dave. The collaboration was interesting – with full time jobs and busy families. They wrote all the lyrics and music in just 8 weeks, much of it via email and phone. During this process, Inspiring Arts Group was formed. HORIZONS OF GOLD ran its first workshop performance at Mars Hill Academy in March of 2013, where Beth served as musical theatre director.

About Us…
Art reflects our culture, values and our lifestyle but… it also shapes it. It’s our desire to create beautiful art through which truth is revealed – art that influences and affects the culture; art that elevates the mind, awakens the heart, and restores the spirit.

We each bring over 25 years of experience in our individual fields to our collaborative effort…

Beth Kenniv, playwright/director – works as a music educator, theatre director and choir conductor
James Kenniv, composer – operates music studio, writes, arranges, records and teaches music
Jeff Smith, composer – writes, produces music for a variety of clients such Kings Island and Disney
Dave Thompson, lyricist – writes and records music while operating a home construction business

Inspiring Arts Group is led and directed by our core team of founding members but functions as an inclusive community of artists and volunteers who desire to work together to accomplish our common goals.