SL_Spotlight_7_19_Spotlight 7 / 15 / 19 3 : 32 PM Page 1 spotlight Under the Sea andOver the Moon Three decades after the release of The Little Mermaid ¸ Jodi Benson feels more connected than ever to the character of BY PETER PROKO Ariel . JODI BENSON ADMITS THAT WHILE SHE WAS INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING FOR THE ROLE OF ARIEL IN THE LITTLE MERMAID BACK IN THE LATE 1980S , the Broadway star wasn’t as keen on letting it be known to her peers in the industry . “ I absolutely had no clue it would change my life , ” Benson says . “ In fact , when I recorded it , I was doing a Broadway show , flying back and forth , and kind of kept it under wraps because voiceover was not a very great job back then ; it’s what you did when your career was going downhill . And our names weren’t going to be revealed ; it was going to be a secret project that would disappear forever . But obviously it changed my life forever , such a blessing . ” As the cast and crew get ready to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the film’s release , Benson looks forward to marking the milestone and connecting with fans both young and young at heart . We spoke with Benson as she was gearing up for a multi - city promotional tour and taking a break from touring colleges with her daughter , one of two children she has with her husband , Ray , who also serves as her manager . She talked about her connection with Ariel , the film’s impact on her career , and why she may be the most in - demand wedding singer in the country . At the time you auditioned for The Little Mermaid , voiceover work wasn’t exactly a coveted job . Obviously that has changed quite a bit Q.A since then . What was the experience like for you ? There was absolutely no doubt about it . I was going to audition . Anything that [ producer ] Howard Ashman asked me to do , I would jump on board ; he’s absolutely brilliant . So when he invited all the girls from our Broadway musical Smile — which was ill - fated and closed way too early — to audition for The Little Mermaid , we all jumped at the opportunity . The audition itself was really neat . I had never done anything like that , never been behind a microphone before . It was in a Broadway rehearsal studio in New York City with a reel - to - reel big tape , and Albert Tavares who was the casting assistant . It was just he and I in the room alone . I ran to the ladies room with the script in my hand and looked in the mirror and waited for people to leave so I could try and create the voice I thought she might have . I kind of talked to myself in the mirror and ran back in time for my name to be called . As the film gets ready to mark its 30th anniversary , how often do you reflect on its success and what it would ultimately mean for your career ? It changed my career , changed my trajectory and the direction in my life , and I probably reflect it lines up for the character of Ariel and the on it daily . Ariel is a big part of my family’s life and my living and my career and our day - to - day music of The Little Mermaid . The wedding in life . New Jersey was an Ariel wedding . Last year , you also went viral when you surprised a couple at their wedding in Avalon , N.J . You have been quoted as seeing a lot of How did that all come about ? yourself in the Ariel character . How so ? They are such a sweet couple . They contacted my agent in Los Angeles , [ and ] then contacted my We do have a lot in common . I think we are husband as my manager and we went through an agency that handles celebrity appearances both tenacious , both strong willed , [ and ] we that was based in the New York area , and we kind of vetted through to make sure it was both think outside of the box . Coming from a legitimate . I spoke with the father and mother of the bride and just fell in love with them , they small town in Illinois and wanting to go to were so precious . It was an amazing surprise and tribute for their daughter . Broadway without ever seeing a Broadway show is pretty ridiculous . So I felt like that was After the video became so widespread , were you thinking : Oh boy , I’m going to be asked to something that Ariel and I could really do everyone’s wedding now ? connect on , trying to live outside the box , It has turned into requests on a daily basis , so my husband now has another full - time job dreaming big , and thinking beyond what n searching and going through every inquiry and request to see if they are legitimate and to see if looks possible . SUBURBANLIFEMAGAZINE.COM JULY 2019 80 |