Her new film will deliver a musical journey through the Bible when it hits the silver screen in September.
In the three years and change since Kathie Lee Gifford stepped down from the Today show, she wrote and starred in the feature Then Came You, wrote and directed the short film The God Who Sees, and could not be happier. As much as she enjoyed her 11 years at Today and her lengthy run before that hosting Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, the devout Christian tells Fox News that she has really hit her stride professionally.
"My dream job is what I'm doing now. Writing music and writing movies and writing and directing in beautiful places."
Her latest endeavor, The Way, is a faith-based project similar to The God Who Sees; that latter one was basically an elaborate music video that runs 11-minutes and features Christian singer Nicole C. Mullen.
The new production, shot in Utah and again featuring Mullen, is a 75-minute film that will also include performers Danny Gokey, Jimmie Allen, Larry Gatlin and BeBe Winans singing to orchestral accompaniment and acting out stories from the Bible.
Among the characters featured are Abraham and Sarah, and Gifford says she considered casting Vince Gill and Amy Grant for those roles, wanting to have big stars in the production. Bringing it to the Lord in prayer, however, she learned that He had other plans, leading her instead to go with lesser-known singers Matt Baugher and Julie Roberts for the parts. As a married couple who had been unable to have children themselves, Gifford says they - like Abraham and Sarah - could "understand the pain of being barren."
"They were struggling, struggling, struggling with fertility. And I said, 'Okay, Lord,' and I just obeyed."
The two singers were surprised to land the roles, but gladly accepted, with Baugher later calling the film "astounding" in a social media post. But that was nothing compared to what came a few months after production wrapped: they called Gifford to tell her that Julie was pregnant.
Their son Jackson is now one year old and Baugher, again on social media, said the birth was "amazing" in light of the roles he and his wife played in this production. Gifford, who narrates the film, seconds the motion, saying of choosing of the couple for the parts of Abraham and Sarah that, "God cast this thing."
The Way releases in theaters nationwide for a one-day only special engagement on September 1st. You can buy tickets for a venue in your area via this link to the website of distributor Fathom Events, and the trailer below will give you a sense of what to expect.
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