From hosting a Miami radio show to singing on cruise ships all across Europe, Josephine Phoenix has spent her life performing. She’s sung to sold-out stadiums, played clarinet in New York City subway stations, and acted on stage and screen— and no matter where or what she’s performing, Phoenix does so with joy. A powerhouse vocalist with an infectious sense of humor, she brings warmth, energy, and charisma to every role she plays. This May, Phoenix will take to the stage in Lancaster City, performing in Prima Theatre’s laugh-out-loud celebration of motherhood, The Mom Show. Equal parts heartfelt and hilarious, it’s a show that plays perfectly to her strengths.
Music, dance, and humor have always been part of Phoenix’s life. She describes her father as “a flamenco guitarist who has performed at Carnegie Hall” and her mother as “a LasVegas showgirl, singer, and dancer.” As a result, Phoenix grew up certain that she, too, would be a performer. At first, her dream was to be a classical clarinetist for an orchestra like the London Philharmonic. But as a teenager, she realized, “Oh, wait, no, I want people to look at me!” She began acting and fell in love with making people laugh.
“I went to five different high schools, incidentally, between New York and Miami, so being the new kid at a school, the best way to make friends was through humor and through the arts,” Phoenix explains. To this day, her warmth and humor are two of her strengths. She instantly makes people feel welcome and at ease.
While in high school, Phoenix considered going to school for performance and journalism, but her parents encouraged her to get a singing job instead. “My dad always says there’s no Plan B,” she explains. If she wanted to be a professional singer and actor, she would have to pursue that dream relentlessly, with no reservations. So, shortly after graduation, Phoenix got a job on a cruise ship. At only 19, she began traveling the world as a professional singer.
Since then, her career has taken her to many places. In addition to performing on cruise ships, Phoenix has been a backup singer for several Latin artists, including Ricardo Montaner and Yotuel Romero, singing to sold-out stadiums throughout South America and the Caribbean. She also sang with her own band for a time and appeared on the reality TV show “My Life is a Telenovela.” In recent years, she’s turned her focus toward theater and writing. Currently, she’s creating a one-woman show, "Between Coconuts and Concrete," which will debut this October with New York Theatre Barn. The show is inspired by her experiences growing up in Miami and New York City as the child of two performers.
Across her many, varied experiences, one thing Phoenix looks for in a new role is the opportunity to “create a world where drama and humor are on the same page... because you need both.” She loves having the chance to tackle complex, thought-provoking emotions and situations while also making people laugh. This marriage of comedy and drama is one of the elements that excited her about Prima Theatre’s The Mom Show.
“It feels like such an immersive story... about something that is a through line in all of our lives, which is how we feel about our mothers,” says Phoenix. “And it’s a very textured thing because not all of us have perfect mothers. No one is perfect.” About her relationship with her own mother, she says, “It isn’t butterflies and roses all the time.” Like so many others, they’ve had their ups and downs, and many moments of misunderstanding. But, she adds, “We always laugh, and my mom always told me I love you.”
Acting has also helped Phoenix understand her mother better. In 2021, Phoenix joined the show "On Your Feet" with Prather Productions. Playing the role of Gloria Fajardo, Gloria Estefan's mother, and depicting their complicated and at times estranged relationship, gave Phoenix a chance to reflect. She began to see her mother as a fully realized, complex human being, just like the character she depicted. “As I grow into a woman, I see my mother as a woman,” she says. “And the empathy that ensues is insane.”
Phoenix originally submitted audition materials for Prima Theatre’s holiday show, Illumination. The cast was already complete, but Prima’s Executive Artistic Producer, Mitch Nugent, loved her audition and wanted to get her involved in another upcoming show. Phoenix was thrilled to be cast as the MC for The Mom Show, a dynamic role that includes singing and interacting with the audience.
“What I love about Prima is that it’s very immersive,” she says. “Connection is everything.” In The Mom Show, she won’t just be performing for the audience; she’ll be sharing a unique experience with them. She also appreciated that Prima gave her the script for the show and encouraged her to add things and make it her own. “I love having that liberty because not a lot of shows allow you that,” she explains.
Joining Phoenix on stage for The Mom Show are Michelle Wittrien, a Lancaster theatre veteran, and Tammie Harris, who recently played the Witch in Prima’s production of Into the Woods. Kayla Capone Kasper is also joining the cast, making her Prima debut as a swing performer. The show will include songs everyone in the audience will know and love, ranging from Shania Twain to show tunes. Music director Lauren Ney will lead the live band on a baby grand piano, along with Tristan Klopp on guitar, Joe Fuscia on percussion, and Kacy Raby on bass. Songs like “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, “Mama Said” by The Shirelles, and “Brave” by Sara Bareilles will show off the vocalists’ powerful voices. “I’m really excited to share the stage with two other powerhouse women in harmony,” says Phoenix.
Together, these women will bring to life glimpses of motherhood in all its forms: the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy, the bittersweetness of watching a parent or child grow older, the grief of struggling with infertility and loss, and the challenges of parenting a stubborn teen. The result is a show that is as heartfelt as it is hilarious, and one that everyone, not just moms, can enjoy. Motherhood can be as messy as it is magical, but Prima has not turned away from that complexity. Instead, The Mom Show turns it into a celebration worth experiencing.
