Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel, supports her daughter in taking on the role in “The Little Mermaid”

Jodi Benson’s daughter Delaney will soon become part of her mother’s world as she stars in a stage production of The little mermaid.

Delaney plays the role of Ariel, voiced by her mother Jodi in Disney’s 1989 film. In a video shared on TikTok, Jodi can be seen supporting her daughter as she takes the stage and sings “Park of Your World.”

“It was truly an honor to watch @Delaney Benson play Ariel and @Jodi Benson be the most supportive mom!!! I was so lucky to be able to witness this 😭 #thelittlemermaid #jodibenson #ariel #disney #miami,” the caption of the video reads.

In the TikTok post, 23-year-old Delaney – dressed as Ariel – sings the song alongside her mother, who can’t help but smile. The video cuts to the curtain call, and Delaney runs onto the stage to take a bow as her mother is seen blowing her a kiss.

Jodi, 62, shared the TikTok video on her Instagram story and praised her daughter’s performance.

“Absolutely incredible Delaney,” she wrote. “You are a perfect Ariel. I love you so much congratulations @delaneybenson @areastage.”

According to Area Stage in Miami, Florida, the show is an “immersive production of Disney’s The little mermaid in a slimmer, shorter version in a new, all-encompassing space designed from the ground up to tell that story. Enter a mystical seaside tavern where sailors and pirates share myths of mermaids and adventure. Once inside, the story of Ariel and Eric will come to life all around you in this epic underwater spectacle.”

Arena Stage’s immersive production opened on July 11 and runs through August 4.

Jodi is no stranger to supporting the next generation of Ariel actresses. In 2023, after Halle Bailey was cast as the iconic Disney princess for the live-action film The little mermaidJodi defended the changes made and expressed her support for the “Angel” singer.

“It’s 2023, so we have to grow, we have to learn, we have to be aware of our surroundings,” she said Weekly entertainment. “We have to be aware of our evolution as people and what’s important now and what’s maybe not so important. Things change. We have to live with that. I think Rob and John did a wonderful job of doing that and still paying tribute and honoring our original film. But you have to evolve. It’s very important to stay relevant to where we are and what’s going on around us. We have to be aware of that. So the adjustments and fine-tuning they had to make were a must, but they were done beautifully and I’m very, very excited about it.”

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