The actress who portrays Rahab in Sight & Sound’s new big-screen presentation, Joshua—Live!, says audiences will experience the spectacle of the stage production while encountering a powerful message about God’s faithfulness and redemptive power.
Joshua—Live! lands in theaters Oct. 30, bringing the biblical account of Joshua to the big screen – and giving newcomers and longtime fans alike a chance to experience Sight & Sound’s Broadway-style musicals at their local movie theater.
Releasing as Sight & Sound celebrates its 50th anniversary, the production captures the theater's 300-foot wraparound stage with up-close camerawork, an original soundtrack, special effects, and live animals.
Sight & Sound is a faith-based entertainment company that draws more than 1.5 million people each year to its two theaters, located in Lancaster, Pa., and Branson, Mo.
Hope Klessig portrays Rahab, the woman who hid two Israelite spies and helped them escape before the Israelites conquered Jericho.
“It's all about reaching more people and telling them about the love of Jesus,” Klessig told Crosswalk Headlines.
A native of Wisconsin, Klessig first dreamed of joining the cast after seeing Noah at Sight & Sound’s Branson theater as a child. She earned a degree in musical theater from Millikin University before driving 14 hours to audition for the company. Her other Sight & Sound credits include Noah, Miracle of Christmas, Daniel, David, Moses and Queen Esther.
“I think when people first think of Rahab, they're going to think about Rahab as the prostitute in the Old Testament -- and while that is true, she is so much more than that, and our show expands upon that,” she said. “And you get to see the world that she was in in Jericho, and the courage that it takes for her to hang the scarlet cord in the window and swear an oath with the two Hebrew spies that come to her, and that ultimately saves her and her family from destruction when God brings down the walls of Jericho.”
Rahab is honored in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 and appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1.
Rahab’s story, Klessig noted, illustrates the gospel’s message of redemption.
“God can redeem anyone's story. It doesn't matter your background. It doesn't matter what you've done. He will redeem anyone's story who's willing to surrender to Him and to be rescued by Him, and that's what we see in Rahab's story.”
Meanwhile, Klessig expressed gratitude for the opportunity to use her talents to share biblical stories through the arts.
“It is definitely an honor and a gift to be able to work at a theater that I never have to question if what I'm using my talents for is glorifying God,” she said. “That's definitely an honor, and it hasn't always been that – coming through college and doing non-Christian productions, of course, that is a hard balance to teeter on in the theater world. So it's been really just great to know that I am glorifying God with my gifts, and that the stories we're telling are more than just about us.”
Photo Credit: Sight & Sound
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
