The 31-year-old performer had been living in New York for five years, leading an exciting career bursting with highlights, including touring the United States and choreographing a cabaret show for Tony Award-winner Alice Ripley.
But while Josephson describes New York as having “amazing opportunities” – in terms of the quality of life – people living in the “the city of dreams” have to be willing to put up with a lot.
It is why five years ago, the US performer made the decision to move to New Zealand – and has not looked back since.
She is now set to play the leading role in one of the most classical musical theatre tales of all time.
She will take on the challenging role of Eliza Doolittle in Showbiz Christchurch’s production My Fair Lady, to be staged at the Isaac Theatre Royal next month.
The story tells the tale of Eliza, a cockney flower seller and linguistics professor Henry Higgins, who wagers he can transform her into a proper English society lady.
“I think one of the reasons it is still very important is it tackles a lot of universal themes – it deals with education and class structure and inequality of sexes and unfortunately, those are all things that are still issues and still very much relevant today,” she said.
Josephson said even now in 2020 there are still a lot of issues with women being marginalised and not having proper opportunities.
It is why she admires Eliza’s character.
“She doesn’t accept things because those are the rules if that makes sense – she is taught all these rules in society and things she had to be if she is going to be successful,” Josephson said.
She said she also admires Eliza for how successful she is at the beginning of the play.
“Really when the show starts she is successful in her own right-she is not an alcoholic which many people at the time were, she is not selling herself on the street, she is able to live without her parents, she can support herself without a husband, she can read.”
She said many people will look at the play and say Higgins changed her.
“It is not that, it is she wants to change herself, she wants to own a small business, she wants to get ahead in society and grow and get more opportunities. Higgins gives her the tools to do that, we see her do all the hard work.”
Throughout the show, Eliza transforms from a street-smart girl with a strong cockney accent into a proper Edwardian lady dressed in heels and a corset.
“There is a big physical and vocal transformation . . . that is a lot of work for me, having to master those two different voices and making sure she is the same person.”
Josephson grew up in Laguna Beach, California, where she attended Orange County High School of the Arts before going on to receive her B.F.A in the acting programme at Stephens College.
She originally lived in Wellington when she moved to New Zealand before she was cast into a production with The Court Theatre where she was left so impressed by the quality of theatre, she stayed in Christchurch.
“I just thought this is something I am proud to be part of, that is my only marker . . . as long as I am in a production I feel proud of, I am learning and continuing to grow, that is all that has ever mattered,’’ she said.
- My Fair Lady will run from April 3-18. Book tickets here.
