Jodi Benson (Voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid)

<p>Jodi Benson (aka the voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid) joins us in the kitchen today to celebrate Disney’s World Princess Week! From her early days on Broadway in Smile and Crazy For You to her iconic voice work in Disney’s The Little Mermaid and the Toy Story franchise - that’s right, she voiced the one-and-only Barbie - Jodi takes on a journey under the sea to explore all her favorite Disney memories. Stick around for an exciting conversation on her legacy, the importance of Disney Princesses, Broadway, and even some heart-wrenching stories of the late Howard Ashman and how Jodi is determined to keep his memory alive.</p><p><strong>Episode Breakdown:</strong></p><p>0:00 – Introduction </p><p>1:45 - Jodi Benson is here</p><p>3:00 - Performing origins</p><p>8:30 - Early broadway days</p><p>12:00 - Auditioning for “The Little Mermaid”</p><p>16:30 - Finding Ariel’s voice</p><p>17:30 – Being coached by Howard Ashman</p><p>18:30 - “Part of Your World” controversy</p><p>21:30 - Creating Ariel and <em>The Little Mermaid</em></p><p>23:30 - Working with Howard Ashman and Alan Menken </p><p>25:00 - Howard Ashman’s passing and legacy</p><p>31:30 - ”The Little Mermaid” live-action</p><p>33:30 - Jodi and Hallee’s relationship</p><p>35:00 – Jodi at the live-action premiere</p><p>36:00 - How “The Little Mermaid” continues to live on</p><p>41:00 - Favorite “Part of Your World” performances</p><p>45:00 - Performing with her daughter</p><p>47:00 – Voicing “Barbie” and other iconic voices</p><p>49:00 - World Princess Week</p><p>52:00 - Game time!</p><p>56:00 - Final thoughts and goodbyes</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Jodi Benson: </p><p>Instagram: @jodibenson</p><p>TikTok: @jodi.benson</p><p><br></p><p>Follow the hosts:</p><p>@AnthonyGargiula </p><p>@Jonathantilkin</p><p> @CounterMelodiesShow </p><p><br></p><p>Listen and Watch:</p><p>https://pods.to/countermelodies</p><p>Credits:</p><p>Executive Producer / Showrunner / Editor: Louis Gargiula</p><p>Consulting Producer: Renée Colvert</p><p><br></p>