Regis who?

Who needs Regis Philbin when you’ve got pals like Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera? Venerable TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is FINALLY coming back to the airwaves in a big way. The announcement was made this morning (3/31/08) that she’ll be part of NBC’s Today Show team beginning Monday, April 8, 2008.

Gifford has a Tampa connection ... she’s co-written two of the tunes in the TBPAC production of Hats! The Musical and has been in town on a couple of occasions in support of the project. She was here on opening night and “got her red hat on” with the Florida West Coast Queen’s Council of the Red Hat Society at the party in TBPAC’s Maestro’s Restaurant.

There’s even more great news! TBPAC and Gifford are in discussions to do more projects together. Gifford and her writing partner, David Friedman, have some great projects in the pipeline for audiences of all ages ... with any luck Gifford will find TBPAC fertile ground for her artistic side…while, of course, entertaining folks at Rockefeller Center with her trademark wit!

- Paul B.

Sort of live with Kathy Lee and me

Kathy Lee Gifford, one of the songwriters for the new musical “Hats!” now playing at TBPAC’s Jaeb Theater through April 27, came to the recent official opening.

Experienced at asking all the questions through her 15 years as co-host of “Live With Regis and Kathy Lee,” she proved equally gracious on the other side of the interview.

Kathy Lee talked about her songwriting, her new theater projects, her involvement with “Hats!” and whether she misses Regis.

Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

And you can click here to see even more of Kathie Lee on WTSP's "Life Around the Bay."

Kathy Lee Gifford on WTSP

Check out Kathy Lee Gifford, who was here last week to help promote the opening of HATS! The Musical in our Jaeb Theater (for which she wrote some of the lyrics), as she appears on WTSP's Life Around the Bay program.