Jodi Benson Takes Us Behind the Scenes of The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure

Jodi Benson, the original Ariel, took viewers behind the scenes of The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. In a video shared by Disney, we learn how much the film means to Jodi (as well as the show’s cast and crew). We also learn how the crew feels about Jodi. She surprised them when she walked on the Animation Courtyard Theater stage. It was a rock star moment.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will use a mixture of traditional and digital puppets to tell Ariel’s story. Jodi meets one of the traditional characters – Max, Prince Eric’s sheepdog. We also catch a glimpse of some of the digital characters, who will include Triton, Ursula, and Ariel’s sisters.

Tony, the show’s Visual Effects Designer, said they wanted the digital puppets to feel authentic: “We really wanted to [add] that human element to their animation. So we went and actually got some motion capture animation.” Choreographers and dancers provided the human touch to the characters. The video shows just how cool a process that is.

Imagineers also matched the digital puppets’ textures to their “live” counterparts. Katrina, the show’s Senior Visual Media Creative Producer, said, “If you look at the material [of the digital fish], it’s the same exact material as the actual puppets.”

That was no small task. There are 300 digital fish in the show, which all release bubbles as they move. Jodi also confirmed there’ll be plenty of gadgets, gizmos, whozits, whatzits, and thingamabobs.

So how did Imagineers mesh live-action and digital puppets? They used gaming software:

“We actually built all the digital content in a video game engine. We built it one-to-one with the scale of the stage, so that everything you see on the upstage there is a continuation of the stage that we’ve built digitally. That way, we can adjust our lights with the same timing as our lighting design partners, and make sure that it’s as cohesive – as completely immersive – as possible.”

Tony, Visual Effects Designer

The stage’s proscenium (stage frame) pays homage to Ariel’s love of thingamabobs. Sarah, a Concept Artist and Illustrator, said they chose a mixed media collage, “because that’s what teenagers do.” One of Sarah’s embroidery projects was used a background on the frame. The theater is an extension of the stage. Its coral walls and seat designs will further immerse the viewers in the story. I’m sure the AC will also be fantastic.

The cast and crew treated Jodi to the show’s premiere performance. The cameras were focused on Jodi more than the show. She was emotional after it ended:

“I’m overwhelmed. Really sweet. Thank you. That was incredible. Any time that we can tell our story and pay tribute to Howard [Ashman] and to Alan [Menken] and to all of our team… Absolutely love this.”

In a post-credits scene, the cast and crew asked Jodi to add her signature to a piece of the stage they had already signed.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure debuts at 9:15 AM on May 27, 2025, in Hollywood Studios.