Kathie Lee Gifford opens up with about the new Broadway show "Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson," in an interview with Playbill.
Gifford has written a book about the McPherson that portrays the life she lived that involved controversy and strife and ultimately led to her religious works being marred in the public eye.
When asked about what drew her to the real life character of Aimee Semple McPherson the "The Today Show," host said.
"I've been fascinated since I first heard about her more than 40 years ago, but I've been obsessed for the last 12 years; anyone who knows me, especially my family, will attest to that. I couldn't believe that anybody could've lived that much of a life, and she died at a young age. I was fascinated with her as a woman, a woman of faith, and a woman who accomplished what she did in that time period. She was a fearless, fierce force of nature in feminine form, and we haven't seen anyone like her before or since."
When asked if "Scandalous," was about the rise and fall about McPherson, Gifford said.
"You can't understand what she became unless you understand where she came from. She was a Canadian farm girl. Early on in the process in White Plains, some huge people in the theatre industry told me, "Get rid of that stuff in Canada. Who cares about that?" I was tempted, but to just tell the story of Aimee in Hollywood is to tell a diminished story that would not be fair to her. And it's not as interesting. I want to see the climb, the challenge, and everything else."
"Scandalous," is based on the life of Aimee Semple McPherson a Pentecostal evangelist in the early 1900s who was known for her lively sermons but more so for her drug addiction, romantic affairs and her kidnapping.
The Broadway "Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson," stars Broadway veteran Carolee Carmello as "Aimee Semple McPherson" and the show is slated for mid-October and willalso have performances scheduled for November.
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