The original ‘Little Mermaid’ on passing the ‘dinglehopper’ to her daughter

Actress and singer Jodi Benson had a unique way of showing her kids that she provided the voice of Ariel in Disney's original “The Little Mermaid” from 1989.

"She always tells us that she would put the VHS tape on the TV, and during 'Part of Your World' she would stand off to the side of the TV and she would sing," recalls Jodi's daughter, 23-year-old Delaney Benson.

"She would mute the movie so her voice would come through, and we were like, 'Mommy, what are you doing? Let us watch the movie.' And she would say, 'No, baby, that's mommy's voice ... in there!'"

After a while, Delaney and her brother began to realize that Ariel's voice and their mother's voice were the same.

Now, Ariel has a new voice ... and it belongs to Delaney, who is starring in a “90-minute immersive” production of "The Little Mermaid" at Miami’s Area Stage.

Initially, Delaney wasn't at all interested in stepping into her mother's fins ... er, shoes.

When rumors swirled that "The Little Mermaid" might be the senior year production at Delaney's college, Cincinatti College Conservatory of Music, she says she thought, "'Oh my gosh. Over my dead body. There's no way!'" Whether she auditioned and didn't land the title role — or if she did and had the pressure of being as good as her mom — Delaney was in a tough spot.

The conservatory selected a different musical and Delaney graduated in the spring of 2023.

Then Delaney received an email in March 2024 from a friend. A Florida theater, Area Stage, was doing a production of "The Little Mermaid" and was still looking for an Ariel.

A mutual friend recommended Delaney to Giancarlo Rodaz, the show's director. When Rodaz saw Delaney sing "When She Loved Me" from "Toy Story 2" on YouTube, he "immediately became interested in her talent and poise."

He talked to Delaney about the potential of joining the show, and after she sent a clip of "Part of Your World," Rodaz says, "I knew right then and there that she had to do it."

When Rodaz called to offer Delaney the role, she happened to have just seen a matinee with her mother in New York City. Jodi was in the room when Delaney took the call.

"It wasn't on speakerphone, but I just mouthed, 'I got it!' and we just died laughing," Delaney says gleefully. "I mean, it's just so funny, right? I graduate from college and one of my first shows postgrad is 'The Little Mermaid.'"

Why did Delaney decide that now was the time to go under the sea? “I’m in such a great place in my life, where I’m confident with what I can bring to the table,” she explains. “There will always be questions about nepotism, but I still have to walk through the door. My talent still has to shine. They’re not going to cast me just because I’m her daughter.”

For many years, Ariel was “her thing,” Delaney says of her mom. “But now that it’s all mixing together, it really is such a shared experience.”

What did the OG Ariel think of her daughter's role?

The first thing Delaney remembers her mom saying is, "'Don't do this for me, do this for you ... if you want to do this, if this is going to make you happy. If this is something you want to do, go for it. But there's no pressure.'"

Delaney continues, "Yes, she's a mom in theater, but she's not a stage mom, thankfully."

This production of the show "is designed like a Disney attraction," says Rodaz. "Audiences sit down in the tavern, order some drinks, and are surrounded by sailors bringing the story to life all around them."

And Delaney is triumphant as Ariel.

A TikTok video of the show posted July 15 has received around 4.2 million views thus far. In it, Delaney begins the opening bars of “Part of Your World” sitting right at the feet of her mom and her dad, Ray Benson.

In the video, Delaney stands up to sing, “The girl who has ... everything,” locking eyes with her mom as she gently places her hand on Jodi’s shoulder.

During the curtain call at the end of the video, Jodi, in true mom fashion, is recording her daughter with her phone in one hand while cheering and blowing kisses with the other. Her dad stands proudly next to her with his hand tapping his heart.

TODAY.com reached out to Jodi about her daughter's performance.

She tells us via Instagram, "I was completely blown away by Delaney’s brilliant performance. She was truly born to play Ariel. The whole experience was so surreal. I wept throughout the show. I am so honored to pass on my treasured 'dinglehopper' to my daughter. Delaney has created her character of Ariel with such love, strength, vulnerability, curiosity and honesty. I’m so incredibly proud of my daughter!"

Going viral has been a "whirlwind," says Delaney, who hopes that the video "shows how strong our bond is as a mother-daughter duo."

Pausing to collect herself as she tears up, Delaney adds, "It's just really really nice to have parents who believe in me because that doesn't always happen."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com