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‘It's Very Surreal': OG Ariel Star Jodi Benson Shares Emotional Reaction To Daughter Playing Little Mermaid in New Production
Jodi Benson felt emotional for her daughter’s new role as Little Mermaid in a Miami production. Paige O’Hara praised Delaney’s talent and Jodi emphasized her character, and heart above all.
Jodi Benson who gave the original voice of Ariel was full of emotions as her daughter played the Little Mermaid in a Miami production. In 1989, Jodi Benson had voiced the character of Ariel and was ready to welcome another princess of the sea.
Delaney Benson's mother first voiced the beloved Disney princess 34 years ago and now she starred in a 90-minute immersive Miami production and portrayed the Little Mermaid. Delaney continued her mother's legacy and passionately pursued acting and music for years, and attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Here, she got a chance to perform in a production of Gypsy along with her mother. Delaney was with her mother in a New York City hotel room when she got the news of the Ariel role. It felt like the stars truly aligned. Jodi, 62, spoke to PEOPLE exclusively at a recent Disney Princess 'Create Your World' event at Disneyland in California. She said, "It's very surreal. That day, when she got the call from her agent, and she got off the phone, she said, 'Mom, you're never going to believe this.' And I didn't even know she had auditioned. She goes, 'I'm going to be Ariel this summer. I've got an equity contract. I'm going to be in Miami.' And I just went, 'Are you kidding me?!' "
During early summer, Delaney spent her days preparing for her role as Ariel and performing for Area Stage from July 11 to August 4 as the famous character. Jodi Benson fondly recalled bringing young Delaney to Disney events and here, both Ariel and the spotlight captured her attention. Jodi recalled, "She used to come on stage with me at 3 or 4, grab the mic from the symphony, start singing the song, and wouldn't give the mic back."
She further mentioned Delaney's work on the character and her overall performance. Delaney quickly picked what she had learned at a young age both from her mother and Disney musical legend Howard Ashman. When Jodi watched her daughter as Ariel, she said, "My husband and I just wept the whole time. I saw the show nine times, opening weekend and closing weekend. But she made Ariel her own, but obviously, she grew up with the sound. She knows everything that Howard taught me because the song is Howard. I'm just imitating it. So she knows Howard, she knows everything that Howard taught me, and she does it, but she makes Ariel her own. It was breathtaking and ... we were beside ourselves. It was magical."
Apart from Jodi Benson, there were others who felt proud of Delaney too. Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle from Beauty and the Beast, shared her thoughts that Delaney built an impressive career with major performances and praised her. O'Hara, 68, told PEOPLE, "She's the real deal. She will be a Broadway star. She's an amazing actress, not just a great singer,"
Jodi stated that her daughter's character was of prime significance. Jodi shared, "The most important thing about her is her heart. She's a good human. I love hanging out with her. She makes me a better person." Delaney successfully grew her career over the past couple of years with outstanding performances and opportunities. Her mother always prioritized what her daughter truly was rather than what she simply did.
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