Jodi Benson

JODI BENSON has received worldwide recognition and critical acclaim as the voice of Ariel from the Academy Award® winning Walt Disney animated feature film The Little Mermaid. She also gave life to the spirited Weebo in Disney‘s live-action feature Flubber, co-starring Robin Williams. For Warner Bros. and director Don Bluth, she created the title voice in the feature Thumbelina. Her other voice credits include The Little Mermaid: Ariel‘s Beginning, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp‘s Adventure as Lady and 101 Dalmatians II: Patch‘s London Adventure as Anita. And, as a real person with legs, she appeared as Patrick Dempsey‘s assistant Sam in Disney‘s feature film Enchanted.

A native of Rockford, ll., Benson received a Tony Award® and a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for creating the starring role of Polly in the Broadway musical Crazy for You. Also on Broadway, Benson created the starring roles of Doria Hudson in the Howard Ashman/Marvin Hamlisch musical Smile, Betty Bursteter in Cy Coleman‘s Welcome to the Club and Virginia in Kenny Ortega‘s Marilyn: An American Fable. Internationally, Benson has had the honor of sharing the stage with her husband, Ray Benson, in the European premiere of Gershwin‘s My One and Only, starring as Miss Edythe Herbert.

In Los Angeles, Benson starred as Bunny in the critically acclaimed Reprise/UCLA production of Babes in Arms, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific (Pasadena Civic Auditorium), Flora in Flora the Red Menace (Pasadena Playhouse), Ado Annie in Oklahoma! (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion), Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Alex Theatre) and Florence Vassey in Chess (Long Beach Civic Light Opera), for which she won the Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress.

Jodi can be heard on many recordings, including Disney‘s Songs from the Sea, Disney Classics, Splash Hits, The Little Mermaid soundtrack and The Princess Collection, as well as EMI/Angel‘s Crazy For You cast album. Her other project for kids is the six-part DVD series Babyfaith from the creators of Baby Einstein.

Her animated television credits include the Cartoon Network hit Camp Lazlo, Pepper Ann, Pirates of Dark Water, P.J. Sparkles, Disney‘s Hercules (as the ever-perky Helen of Troy), Batman Beyond, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and The Wild Thornberrys.

On the concert stage, Benson has had the honor of appearing as the guest soloist at the Kennedy Center Honors for Ginger Rogers as well as Walt Disney: 75 Years of Music at The Hollywood Bowl. Jodi has performed with symphonies all over the world, including The Philly Pops, The National Symphony, Cleveland Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Tokyo Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony and Chicago Symphony. Benson is honored to be the resident guest soloist for the Walt Disney Company/Disney Cruise Line and an ambassador for feature animation.

Jodi gives thanks and praise to God for her family, friends, for her loving husband, Ray and her precious children, son McKinley and daughter Delaney.

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