About this Artist
Jodi Benson, honored with the prestigious Disney Legend Award, has proudly served the Walt Disney Company for 37 years. She is the globally acclaimed, beloved voice of ‘Ariel’ in The Little Mermaid – a role she has continued through two movie sequels, a television series, the film soundtrack, multiple Disney collection recordings, video games, toys, and beyond. Just as famously, Jodi voiced bubbly ‘Barbie’ in Pixar’s Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, as well as ‘Weebo’ in Flubber, and leading roles in Lady and the Tramp II, 101 Dalmatians II, and DreamWorks’ Joseph: King of Dreams. She has appeared on film as ‘Sam’ in Disney’s Enchanted and made a special cameo in the 2023 live-action The Little Mermaid. On Broadway, Jodi received Tony Award® and Helen Hayes Award® nominations for “Best Actress in a Musical” as ‘Polly Baker’ in Crazy For You and created roles in Smile, Welcome to the Club, and Marilyn: An American Fable. Her Los Angeles theatre credits include Babes in Arms, South Pacific, Flora, The Red Menace, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, and Chess, for which she received a Drama-Logue Award® as “Best Actress.” Internationally, Jodi starred alongside her husband Ray Benson in the European premiere of My One and Only and most recently dazzled Florida audiences in the title role of Hello, Dolly! and as ‘Rose’ in Gypsy. Jodi’s animated TV series include The Wingfeather Saga, Sofia the First, Camp Laslo, Pepper Ann, Pirates of Dark Water, Hercules, Batman Beyond, and The Wild Thornberrys. Tonight marks Jodi’s 5th appearance at the Hollywood Bowl, having previously starred in The Little Mermaid Live in Concert, which she reprised alongside Alan Menken in Tokyo and Osaka. Benson has performed with symphonies worldwide, including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Vienna Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, the Philly Pops, and Chicago, San Francisco, and National Symphonies; she was also the guest soloist at the Kennedy Center Honors for Ginger Rogers. Benson’s book Part of My World shares behind-the-scenes stories from her incredible journey. Jodi thanks God for her family, friends, and her loving husband Ray of 40 years, along with their wonderful children: daughter Delaney, and son McKinley and his wife Mackenzie.