Jodi Benson Saw Daughter Delaney Benson 'Nine Times' in Area Stage's THE LITTLE MERMAID

Last month, BroadwayWorld shared a video of Disney Legend Jodi Benson in attendance at a production of The Little Mermaid at Miami's Area Stage. In addition to being immersive, this production was unique for another reason: Delaney Benson, Jodi's daughter, was playing the character of Ariel, which Jodi originated in the 1989 animated classic. 

In a new interview with People, Benson recalled her reaction to seeing her daughter play the role for the first time when she was in the production. "My husband and I just wept the whole time. I saw the show nine times, opening weekend and closing weekend," the performer said. 

She credits Howard Ashman- the lyricist who wrote the lyrics alongside Alan Menken's score- for the characterization of Ariel.

"...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 really magical.”

Another Broadway veteran and fellow Disney legend Paige O'Hara calls Delaney "the real deal" adding "She will be a Broadway star...You can't just be a great singer in the world, you have to be an actress. She's a really good actress."

Read the full interview at People.

Take a look at the original video, recorded by a TikTok user, where Jodi can be seen grinning as Delaney begins to sing the iconic number, "Part of Your World." 

Photo Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney