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[0:08] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to the Break a Bat Podcast where baseball meets Broadway, an attempt to show that my two favorite mediums don't have to live in such separate worlds and maybe even break some stigmas.

[0:20] Al Malafronte: We're happy to have you with us. Now let's play ball.

[0:28] Al Malafronte: Hello and welcome to another edition of Break a Bat where baseball meets Broadway. I'm your host, Al Malafronte, coming at you for the Broadway Podcast Network. And I gotta tell you, this is one that we've been looking forward to for quite some time. Uh tonight we're lucky enough to welcome a very special hitter whose career spans nearly 40 years. Uh, whether it be getting her start in entertainment right here on the stages of Broadway, capturing the hearts of audiences worldwide through her performances, Ariel and Disney's Little Mermaid, and all the tremendous stage and voiceover work she's done since. Um, this is just a huge honor for me as a host, no matter which way you look at it. Um a Tony nominee, a Disney legend. She's truly the good stuff in show business. So with that being said, I ask you all to please turn your attention to home plate. Just beyond the marquee, now batting Jodi Benson.

[1:22] Jodi Benson: Well, thank you, Al. That was such a sweet intro. I really appreciate that. So much fun to get to be with you. And uh thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it. It is an honor in every way.

[1:34] Al Malafronte: Where are you joining us from tonight, Jodi?

[1:36] Jodi Benson: We live in North Georgia. So we moved here in 2005 from Los Angeles uh to the poultry capital of the world, Gainesville, Georgia. And uh, yeah, that's right, the poultry capital of the world. But we um we live on Lake Lanier, and uh we moved here when our kids were four and six and homeschooled them here for 15 years, and it's just been amazing. So we love living on the lake, looking out at the mountains, very thankful, very, very thankful. So yeah, that's where that's where I'm based right now.

[2:07] Al Malafronte: So did you convert to a Braves fan when you moved out there? Because I know you're an Illinois girl originally, so I wasn't sure if you were a Cubs fan, White Sox fan.

[2:16] Jodi Benson: No, Cubs, all the way Cubs. Sorry if I offend any of your listeners or followers. Um, no, I'm a Cub fan through and through. And uh to be really, really honest with you, I have not been to a Braves game. I know that's hard to believe after 15 years of living here. That's embarrassing, isn't it? Um but no, just you know, busy with the kids and traveling and stuff like that. So I I have not been to a game. So I'm gonna be in trouble.

[2:47] Al Malafronte: It's all right. You know what? Nonetheless, I I'm just so happy that you have you know some love of sports, and it sounds like you and I have a lot in common because you know, we both come from an Italian family that loves sports and theater. Am I accurate in saying that?

[3:00] Jodi Benson: Yes, yes. My maiden name is Marzerati. I wish it was Maserati, like the sports car. That was my life would be totally different. But uh it's it's not. And yes, I'm I'm an Italian girl and had Sunday meals of amazing homemade risotto from my grandma Mary, and lots and lots of food and uh great times um growing up. Yeah, lots and lots of fun. So yeah, I'm Italian from Illinois, and then um met my husband in Nashville, Tennessee. We moved to when we got married, we moved to New York and lived there for many years doing Broadway. And then once I started working with Disney, moved to Los Angeles for eight years, and then we decided we wanted to uh leave the big city and we moved to this beautiful remote sort of area in North Georgia and so happy. Yeah, we love it.

[3:54] Al Malafronte: Now you obviously have a tremendous theater scene in Chicago. Is that kind of how you caught the performing bug? Or was it trips to New York City growing up, cast albums? How'd you fall in love with this?

[4:03] Jodi Benson: I fell in love with theater probably when I was eight years old. I was in um middle school. I went to a parochial Catholic school from first through eight and then ninth through twelfth. So I was probably like in sixth grade when we did this little play in the cafeteria, Rumpelstiltskin. And I had the the lead, you know, the lead girl in that or whatever. And that's kind of when I was like, hmm, this was really fun. And I had started singing when I was probably four or five, just singing around the house. My family's very musical, and we just all kind of enjoyed listening to music, dancing to music. Nobody, of course, did anything professionally by any means, but um I had a love, a great love of music growing up.

And my first cast album that I bought was Marvin Hamlisch, um, A Chorus Line. And I um was in our basement, we had this this mirror, and I would choreograph all the numbers that I thought they would be like of A Chorus Line. And so I was probably like 12, 13, 14, maybe. I had never seen a Broadway show. I don't think I had seen a show in Chicago at that point, because that would be like a really big fancy huge thing to do. And we we really didn't do that kind of thing as a family. So yeah, I just got this crazy notion that I wanted to pursue musical theater without ever having seen a professional show. Just really weird.

[5:47] Jodi Benson: And um after my parents divorced and things were just you know kind of crazy during high school I had to stay in state and go to a college and I was looking for a scholarship any kind of scholarship. Of course I wanted to go to CCM in Cincinnati. That was really my dream school but that wasn't that wasn't gonna be happening for me. And um so I auditioned for a little tiny private school in Decatur, Illinois, the soybean capital of the world and uh I got the highest scholarship there for the BFA and musical theater program. We were the first year to create that program. So that's really where I got my first training that was my first voice teacher really dance classes first acting class. So I was 17 when I started college and left in the middle of my sophomore year when I was 18 I was hired to do um a non-equity tour.

Girl broke her ankle the leading lady I had auditioned for the company in the Christmas break and they called me in March and said we need you in LA in two weeks sophomore year in college, finished a show. I had I was doing the principal role in a musical and um thought I would go back right away to school, but literally after six months of doing that show, I went straight to New York and on the 10th day got my first uh Broadway national tour. So crazy, but I did go back to school 10 years later when I was doing Crazy For You on Broadway. Um my husband came up with this wonderful idea. He's like, hmm, have you ever thought about finishing your degree? And I had talked to Roy Disney about it.

Um, Roy, of course, was the head of our animation department at the time for Disney, and we were really good friends and like a father figure, just a really great guy. And so I talked to him about it. He's like, you know what? I think that's a great idea. I mean, I think, yes, it's a piece of paper, but it's more of a sense of accomplishment, you know, for you. And as I travel around and do master classes, he goes, I think, I think it would be a really great idea. So that's kind of what I did. I just uh reached out to the school, they took my two years of of my grades and let me continue with my catalog. And uh I shoved two years of school into a semester and a half, and I went on my day off and I walked and threw up my my cap and graduated 10 years later.

[5:47] Al Malafronte: Well, does the Tony nomination, you know, kind of grant you an instant graduation?

[8:30] Jodi Benson: No, and that was the whole thing because I did not want an honorary degree, I wanted to earn a real degree, and so it had to be a unanimous vote by the board of directors to unanimously approve that I had the permission to go back to my 1983 catalog and finish my degree because I had a 4.0 and I was a really serious student. And so what they did is they sent a staff of professors to see Crazy For You. And while they watched the show, they graded me on various classes I would have taken if I were still on campus. So what would happen is you basically clep out, and I would get a grade during the show. And then the remaining classes that I had, I flew back for my week vacation, and I did all my practical exams on campus as a student for the week.

And then the last day of my classes, after I finished all my finals and all my practical, you know, costume, makeup, wardrobe, directing, everything that needed to be done on campus. Um then I turned around, went into the theater, and I gave a professional concert as a as a professional. But that whole week that I was there, I was a student, you know, on campus. It was crazy. It was so much fun. But yeah, no, I I actually earned my degree and uh summa cum laude, thank you very much, was a 4.0. I'm pretty proud of that. And um, it was not an honorary degree, so yeah, I worked my tush off that semester because I was doing eight shows a week on Broadway. I was recording the Little Mermaid TV series during the day, and then I'd get home from the show at 11:20, and I'd do my schoolwork till 3 a.m. And then I go to bed and get up and start my day job and then my night job and then my school job. It was pretty crazy, but but it was like I said, I only had to make it last for a whole like semester and a half, so that's absolutely amazing.

[10:42] Al Malafronte: And I I give you so I give you so many props because it would be very easy to you know kick back and take that honorary degree. But you went out and did it the right way. You proved yourself and uh much respect on that part.

[10:52] Jodi Benson: It was crazy. It was crazy. But yeah, so fun. You know, you allude to that Broadway lifestyle. And uh, you know, I know your second show back in the 80s, you know, you booked Smile, doesn't last very long, but you know, the lyricist for the show is the great Howard Ashman, uh the eventual musical geniuses behind The Little Mermaid. Um my understanding, it was while you were doing Smile that you first heard about The Little Mermaid through Howard and Right.

[11:18] Jodi Benson: Yeah. And he started working for Mermaid as we kind of knew that our show was going down the drain. And I was so happy for him that he had this amazing opportunity ahead of him. But I think he just felt so badly that the show tragically closed so early that he invited all the girls to audition for The Little Mermaid. Not that anybody was gonna get anything. I think it was more of just a kind gesture that he kind of felt sorry for us. And um, so I did. I was one of the all the, you know, we all went in and auditioned and laid down a audio track on real to real tape, big old tape machine where you you know press, play and record at the same time, and the assistant casting director and uh just kind of came up with this voice I thought Ariel would have, and and I learned a little bit of the song and laid down that real to real tape and a year later got the call that uh I was Ariel, you know, so it was just such a shock. I mean, I had no idea. Uh no never would have guessed in a million years uh that I would have been cast.

[12:30] Al Malafronte: That's a fairly long process. Now, didn't you live with the animators solely so they could like capture parts of you and draw them into the actual character?

[12:38] Jodi Benson: Well, we don't live live together, but you know, we're together all the time at the studio.

[12:43] Jodi Benson: So basically Glenn Keene and all the animators, Mark Hen and everybody, they would sit in on all of the recording sessions while we were in the studio. And they've got their sketchbook, they've got their walkmans, you know, their little walkmans, because they're like recording it, and then they take it back to their little cubbies, you know, their little offices. Because at the time, Disney animation was off the lot, and we were in a huge transition of feature animation department was in a really big transition period. And so actually Disney animation was removed from the lot, sent to Flower Street in these trailers, and in these trailers would be just all these little cubicles, and that's where the animators lived.

So it was really fun because like one day when I walked in after work, I walked in the door of one of the trailers and one of the pop-up buildings that they were transferred to. And I started talking to the person at the door, and all these little heads pop up over their little plexiglass barriers, and they kind of look at me because they've been listening to my voice, you know, day in and day out. But that was really fun. So fun to see the development of everything that Glenn and Mark came up with for Ariel. You know, from a very talented stage actress's perspective, what did you think of the project when you first took a look at the script? And could you have ever imagined that it would take on the life that it did, especially when it got released?

Because to my understanding, when it first came out, Disney didn't necessarily want the performer connected to the character, but things changed shortly after it was released. What do you remember about that and your initial first impressions?

[14:36] Jodi Benson: I mean, the first impression was this is incredible. I don't know how in the world I got this, and I felt really unqualified to walk into the studio because I'd never been behind a microphone before. I'd never been inside this type of a thing with voiceover, and I just did not know what I was doing at all. So I think the not knowing just kind of made it even more special because every day was like a surprise for me and learning something new. And again, we were just never going to be announced, never going to be publicized. Roll the credits at the end, you'd have to stop your VHS to probably even figure out who was who, and because I wasn't a celebrity, nobody would ever recognize my voice in a million years.

So it was just back and forth New York, LA, back and forth doing a Broadway show, recording this but not talking about it. I think a few people in my family asked, you know, what are you doing? I said I'm doing this animated, and they're like, oh, but see back then in the 80s, voiceover and animation was really what you did at the end of your career, like on the way down. You know, voiceover did not have a great positive spin to it as far as the entertainment industry. It was really looked down upon in the 80s. So when I would tell people I would be doing this, they'd be like, oh gosh, you know, well, maybe you'll get to be on camera sometime and like get a real job. So I just stopped telling people about it because it wasn't really well received.

And then all of a sudden, it was at the screenings, the press screenings started to happen, and we started to hear like, oh, the press really loves this, and it's kind of taken this life on it. And all of a sudden, Disney's going, Whoa, this is big. I mean, this is pretty special. So then I get a call going, hey, can you go on press tour? I'm like, what? Why would I do that? And they're like, well, we're going a different way now. And I was like, okay dokie. So it was like 23 cities in 20 days, something like that. And so boom, that just changed life right there because then it would be identified like, oh, here's the actress that does the voice, and here's her name, and her name is now attached with this film.

And so it just went completely 180 degrees different than what we had been told. And it just kind of started from there and started to snowball into this thing that I just thought I was gonna do this one project, go back to New York, and no one will ever know. And I'll get a paycheck and it'll be great, and that'll be that. And so here we are, 35 years later.

[17:46] Jodi Benson: For me, I've been with the company since '86. So what is that? 35 years? Here we are 35 years later. And it's still, you know, my full-time thing. And it's just, oh my gosh, it's such a wonderful, wonderful surprise. Everything about it is a surprise, which makes it so sweet. You know, what amazes me, and I'm serious when I say this is you sound almost exactly the same now when you're singing the song part from...

[18:14] Jodi Benson: Well, I have to because otherwise I won't have a job. Well, you know, it makes me the bottom line is there are 600, 800, 1000 girls standing right next to me that can do this. And so, you know, once you get cast, especially now, because now voiceover is huge and very, very positive and looked upon with great esteem. And every celebrity wants to be part of. I mean, who doesn't want to be part of a Disney iconic film that you're gonna live with for the rest of your life, you know? So I have to sound like her. I need to be able to recreate that moment when you first saw the film. That's my job, and I take it with great responsibility and tremendous honor. But yeah, I gotta sound just like it.

[19:18] Al Malafronte: So I just want to, you know, use a little baseball tie-in here for a second. An athlete's skill set has a shorter lifespan, but it's almost like what we saw with Mariano Rivera, a great New York Yankee Hall of Fame closer. He was performing just as well at age 40 as he was at 26 or 27. And it obviously took a lot of hard work, commitment to the craft, love of what you do. For you personally, has it been tough to maintain the gift that you've been given with your singing voice? Or are there certain adjustments you've made, you know, to your technique that you wouldn't notice?

[19:49] Jodi Benson: I think as long as I sleep well, eat well, rest well, hydrate well, take good care of myself, you know, exercise, and just overall stay healthy, I'm good to go. You know, she's innately a part of me. So I can very easily, you know, have her join us. And that's a blessing. That's a blessing. And but, you know, I need to do my part to make sure that I can do that. Because obviously for singers, especially women, and I imagine men too, your voice does change as you age. I mean, there's really no way around that, but I know how to manipulate it enough to make sure that I try to stay to sound exactly like the recording to the best of my ability. So so far, so good.

[20:53] Al Malafronte: Yes, no, it's for so good. It's so impressive because like you said, it's so easy for folks now to, you know, press the recast button. But when you're able to maintain that talent for such a long period of time, I think that's really what separates the greats, and certainly in that class.

[21:13] Jodi Benson: I think the reality came to play when my daughter was four, and I brought her on stage with me for a symphony concert. Because I, since we homeschooled, my kids traveled with me when I perform and, you know, make appearances and stuff. So she had on a cute little dress, and I brought her out on stage. She didn't really know that this was gonna happen. I just brought her out before I started to sing "Part of Your World." And I think I told the conductor and I introduced her to the audience, and they all ooh-ed and ahh-ed. And I did a little Q&A with her. I'm like, so tell them your name. And she's like, Delaney. And they said, and I said, and how old are you? And she said, I'm four. And I said, and what do you want to be when you grow up?

Now, this was all unplanned, completely unplanned. And she took the mic out of my hand, literally, because I was like holding it up for her to talk. She literally grabbed that mic out of my hand and told the audience, I'm gonna be the voice of Ariel when my mommy dies. I was like, what? And the audience just went crazy. I was so blown away. I could not believe that she said that because she's never said that before.

[22:36] Jodi Benson: And she's four years old. Ever. I've never heard her say that before, ever. Never that she ever wanted to be Ariel. And of course, never say, you know, when my mommy dies. And I just, and I took the mic back and I said, What did you say, sweet girl? And she said, Well, yeah, mommy, when you die, I'm gonna be the new Ariel. I was like, Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. We laughed so hard. Yeah, she and then she proceeded to then the music started, and my husband's off stage, and he's like waving at her to come off the stage now because I'm about to sing my signature song, you know. And she wouldn't leave. She would not leave. She stood right next to me. And then she tapped me on my arm and she put her hand up to take the mic.

So she took the mic from me and she starts the song. Like, what is going on with you? Who are you right now? And I think everybody in the audience, I mean, I think they were just shocked. I was completely shocked. So they knew that it wasn't planned or rehearsed. And then finally, I took the mic. I said, Honey, do you think it would be okay if I just finished my song for these nice people? And she's like, Well, okay, mommy. And then she left the stage and we started over again. It was just so funny. So, you know, there's always people waiting in the wings, let me tell you.

[24:09] Al Malafronte: Yes, even in third wings of the family.

[24:12] Jodi Benson: Even your blood relative children. Just kidding. You know, you've accomplished so much as far as creating an iconic character and a legacy that's as strong as ever. With that said, is there some passion project you'd love to be a part of one day in the future, whether it be with Ariel or a new character that you'd like to bring to life? I know you've done so much great work, you know, even beyond the Little Mermaid franchise, but is that something you ever give thought to?

[24:39] Jodi Benson: You know, Al, I think at this point in my life, you know, and I'm old and everything, and I've been doing this a long time. I'm so happy and so content. I can honestly say I'm completely content and fulfilled with everything that I've done in my life and in my career. So anything that happens from this point on truly is just icing on an amazing cake. That's the way I look at it. So I have nothing left on my bucket list to do. And everything else that's gonna happen between now and whenever is just gonna be a lovely surprise. So I have no expectations whatsoever.

[25:21] Jodi Benson: And so I think that's just a really great place to be because I love what I do. I love my voiceover, I love Symphony concerts. I'm going back live with a live orchestra next weekend. I'm so excited. I have not stood on a stage in front of a live audience with a live orchestra in 14 months. That's a really long time when you've been doing it as long as I have. That's been like ripping that out of my heart. So I'm so excited. And they've got all the protocol in place. Everybody's gonna be safe and tested. And I'm probably gonna be like a sobbing baby when I walk on the stage for the first time, truly, because it's so unbelievable that it just was ripped from our lives, everybody's lives turned upside down, but especially those of us in the entertainment industry where we do large gatherings of large groups of people.

For me, it's anywhere from, you know, 5,000 to 100,000 people. So obviously, my livelihood has changed drastically since March 13th, 2020. But I am. I'm probably gonna fall apart because you know, when you've done something your whole life and you just are so passionate about sharing music and sharing stories with people, it's just oh, to reconnect with people. So I'm I'm just grateful. I don't have any other agenda, I don't have any other boxes to check off in my life, or like, oh, I really wish I would have. I really don't. I mean, I can honestly say I don't have one box that wasn't checked from my childhood dream. I've already done it. And so I think that just makes this season really, really sweet.

I'd like to have grandchildren, which I really feel like I will, in the not too far far future. So I'm super excited to be able to have that season of life. And want to stay strong and healthy, you know, as long as I can to enjoy that new season whenever that happens. And I'll tell my kids there's no rush, there's no rush, but I that is one of those sweet spots that I'm very excited about.

[27:44] Al Malafronte: I absolutely love that. And you know, I do have to ask Jodi, is there anything more surreal? You know, you talk about checking off every box, you know, every box, you know, from your childhood dream. Is there anything more surreal than finding out that you're a Disney legend? I think we're celebrating the 10 year anniversary of when that happened.

[28:00] Jodi Benson: Yeah, isn't that amazing? Can't believe it was 10 years ago. It feels like a month ago. I remember that day. And see, that's the other thing I'm so thankful for that I was given wise advice many, many years ago. Because I'm an older mom. I was older having children. I had difficulty having children, but also doing eight shows a week, I did not want to have a nanny. And so I had to make the decision of the transition from eight shows a week to voiceover symphony things that would work around being a full-time mom because I wanted to be a full-time mom. I just I feel like, you know, every opportunity that I've been given, the wise advice I was given years ago, was to savor every moment, like really, really live in the moment.

Don't think about tomorrow. Just like soak up everything that today has. And the Disney Legends Day is one of those days because I kept telling myself, you're gonna want to remember every moment of this day forever. And so I kept saying that to myself. And so I do, I have vivid memories from going to bed the night before, waking up and the entire day I can recall every part of that day. Oh my gosh, it was so such a beautiful day, such an honor and a lovely surprise. Because I mean, when I got the call from Disney, I knew that there was a, let's say a freshening up in the voiceover department was going on during this time. And so I was telling myself, if I got the call, like some of my other friends got, that we are refreshing Ariel, I was gonna be okay with that because I thought, all right, I've had a good run.

I mean, this has been great. I never expected it to be this long. So no hard feelings. It's all good. So I got myself ready for that for about six months. So when I got the call from the heads at Disney, I thought that was my day to get my call. So I got on the phone and I was like, Chris, thank you so much for calling me. I just want you to know right off the bat, I've been so grateful for every year, every decade, every experience I've had. I couldn't be more thankful. I couldn't be more grateful. And it's totally fine with me. And he's like, what are you talking about? I'm calling to find out if you would be willing to accept the honor of becoming a Disney legend. And then I dropped the phone.

So I drop the phone. I start crying. And I pick the phone. And he's like, Jodi, Jodi, are you there? Are you there? So I pick up the phone. I'm like, oh my God. He goes, What did you? I said, I thought you were firing me. He's like, firing you. I said, well, you know, not like firing, like I did something wrong, but like replacing, refreshing, updating. He's like, no. And it just took me the whole conversation to actually sink in what he was saying to me. So I think my Disney legend story is, you know, very different, where I again, completely out of the blue, completely surprised, not expected. And then all of those types of things, when they happen, are just 10 times more special. You know?

And I have vivid memories of where I was sitting for that phone call. And if the folks at home want a real treat, you go on YouTube, you look up Jodi singing part of your world that night, and it is unbelievable. You could just feel the emotion of the crowd. And from you personally, Jodi, that's one of the cool cooler moments that I've gotten to see, you know, in the Disney canon. It is um there's nothing like having the opportunity. I remember walking up to the stage manager because I was the last one to receive the award in our particular group of princesses. And she came, you know, and I she said, you know, keep your speech at 30 seconds, la la la. And I just walked up to her. I said, Listen, I said I've been with a company for a really long time, and I have never publicly been able to thank people.

I don't have a speech, I don't have anything prepared, but whatever's gonna come out, it probably won't be on your clock. So I'm just gonna apologize now because I don't want to focus on the clock. I really want to focus on saying thank you. And she's like, she whispered, she got off the mic and her headset and she said, Jodi, you just do whatever you want to, girl. I'm like, okay, there we go. I got permission. So at least I told her ahead of time so that they wouldn't be like, you know, getting the hook. It's like you don't have to get the hook. It's not like I'm gonna be out there for 15 minutes, but it might be like 90 seconds or something like that. And yeah, that was just such a thrill to be able to say thank you to everybody.

And I remembered everybody, which I was really surprised about because when I watched it back, I was like, oh, I really did remember everybody. I'm so thankful because I didn't really have anything. I kind of like had a couple little things down on like a little one by one inch piece of paper. I don't know, but that was just such a such a such an amazing day. Absolutely amazing.

[33:44] Al Malafronte: And I hope one day, you know, you mentioned that you're going back on stage next week that you know maybe you could grace the uh stages of Broadway again one day. I know that would certainly be awesome. I know you already had quite the run, you know, especially trying to get through you know college the last time you performed on the Great White Way. But uh maybe something you could look something we could look forward to as an audience again.

[34:06] Jodi Benson: Yeah, it's interesting. You know, I get asked that question a lot. Like, when do you come back? And I said, you know what? When you have reached all of the dreams and the hopes and the wishes you ever had for your life as far as Broadway is concerned, I was able to create a starring role. I was able to originate a starring role, I was able to win a, you know, a Tony Award for the best musical. I mean, that is not a personal Tony Award. That wasn't important to me. Winning the best musical on Broadway is the highest award, I think for me personally that I could ever achieve. Being part of the process. From creation to out, I just don't think anything could ever top, I'm not even gonna say top that.

It's like it's like I left New York with that experience. And I just don't know. There's part of me that's hesitant. What would it be like all these years later to go back and do eight shows a week? Would I have that same passion in my heart? Because everything about Crazy for You was sheer perfection. I was so happy to go to work every day. I couldn't wait to get to work every day. I I just it was such a pure joy that I don't know how anything could ever compare to that. And I think that would be unfair then to the project that I was doing, if I would constantly be comparing or thinking about, but it's not like how I felt back then. You know, I don't know. I could be way off. I don't know. But it's not on my radar right now.

Like if somebody called, which I I know they wouldn't, you know, it's like, oh my gosh, that was so many years ago. But if some freak of nature happened and somebody called me and said, hey, I've got blah, blah, blah, this, this, this, I'd probably listen in on it and kind of think about it, but man, that'd be really hard to go back and not compare. That would be really hard for me.

[36:33] Al Malafronte: Well, hey, listen, I mentioned Mariano Rivera before, and you know, I'm sure you know Derek Jeter, they both ended, you know, their runs on Broadway on such high notes. Uh, so I, you know, there's sometimes you just don't want to mess with that. And, you know, speaking of a little baseball here, um, before we play fastball derby, Jodi, my original co-host, Scotty Katzmann just popped on here, and he's actually a big fan of yours. Uh, he asked me if he could come on. He's prepared a little something he wants to share with you in the uh spirit of baseball meets Broadway.

[37:01] Scotty Katzmann: Oh, great. Hey, how are you? Well, hey, yeah. Hey, hey, Jodi, and Al, thanks for having me back on. This is cool. It's always nice to be back with the uh with the Broadway crew here. And Al, it's it's always a pleasure as always. But um, I actually was hemming and hauling before this before this uh podcast because I want to do something special, and uh since this is a cameo appearance, I thought I'd get in in the full spirit of uh of a true cameo artist here, and I'm gonna sing you a song. Um, wonderful. Yeah, I I had I actually wrote you this song because I was worried that you you might end up, you know, at some point uh as a professional baseball player, and if that happens, you might not be sure if you want to become a batter or a pitcher. So I'm I kind of had envisioned that problem, you having that problem, and uh I I put something down, and if you ever have that problem, you can just think back to right now, okay? So just a little background.

[37:59] Scotty Katzmann: But I'll full song to my understanding, Jodi. So let's hear what you've got tonight. I'll keep it short. I won't, yeah. I'll keep it short. Um, all right. Miss Benson, listen to me. Life in the dugout, it's a mess. Throwing fastballs is better than anything they got over there. When we throw these balls, they're going one way. And in that direction, all the batters say, there's no way we can ever hit that. Because that ball is going right past the swing. Right past the swing. Fastballs are faster. Down goes the battery when it's strike three. Oh, right past the swing. Right past the swing. Fastballs are faster. Right at the catcher when it's strike three. Out in the batter's box. They work all day out in the sun. They swing away. While we devoted full time to throwing right past the swing.

[39:01] Jodi Benson: Wow, that was amazing. Just for you. I am blown. You know what? No one has ever written a song for me that is under the sea with a baseball theme. So wow. Well, it's I'm I'm surprised. I'm actually shocked by that. No, no one has no one has written me a song to Under the Sea. Period. No one. Wow. And so you're the first. I know. That's so exciting. What a fun. What an opportunity. I couldn't let it go. Um I'm just thrilled to be on here. It's a lot of fun. Um, these podcasts are a lot of fun. And and I had so much fun recording these with Al back last year. We did these pre-COVID in New York City. It was always a great time. We would get together, get some drinks after, meet people. It's just a good experience, and like everything they're doing over here at this whole network is is is pretty exciting. And uh I'm I'm I'm grateful to uh to have done it for a little bit. And uh now I now I got my thing as a cameo guy, so maybe I can keep this going.

[40:02] Al Malafronte: Yeah, maybe I can call back into a couple.

[40:05] Scotty Katzmann: Yeah, you could be like a songwriter.

[40:08] Jodi Benson: Maybe that's your thing.

[40:09] Scotty Katzmann: I wouldn't go that far.

[40:12] Jodi Benson: Maybe I did. I loved it. I absolutely love it. Like I said, no one's ever written me a song before, so I I'm I'm very, very, very touched.

[40:22] Al Malafronte: Well, I'm glad you are, and yeah, well, we we've got some more special surprises coming up, Al.

[40:27] Scotty Katzmann: Well, thank you, Scotty. Uh, you did a great job. Do you want to stay and play fastball derby with uh Jodi to wrap the show?

[40:33] Scotty Katzmann: Ah, that would be great. I've I've got the I've got all your notes right here. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to throw, as they say.

[40:39] Al Malafronte: Fantastic. Show the old uh Roll the Chapman here to Jodi. So basically, uh Jodi, what we do here is uh I want you to picture yourself, you know, in the batter's box, ninth inning, two outs, games on the line. You gotta think quick because there's a flamethrower closer on the mound named Rawl the Shatman. And uh we'll ask you a question. You tell us the first thing that comes to your mind. How does that sound?

[40:59] Jodi Benson: Oh, it sounds frightening. Let's do it.

[41:03] Al Malafronte: All right. That sounds good now. Scotty, I think you have the uh odd questions here. Why don't you start, buddy?

[41:10] Scotty Katzmann: Oh, okay. I see that. All right, favorite New York City meal.

[41:15] Jodi Benson: Uh uh, egg salad on a roll from uh the deli 57th and 7th.

[41:23] Scotty Katzmann: Nice, nice. All right, we're we're moving here. Excellent. Question two. Team Jeter or Team A-Rod.

[41:30] Jodi Benson: Team Jeter.

[41:33] Scotty Katzmann: I knew you were a winner. Excellent choice, Jodi.

[41:44] Jodi Benson: The other one's on social media too much.

[41:46] Scotty Katzmann: Too much social media to be a good idea.

[41:49] Jodi Benson: You're not wrong about that. It's just too much. It's just a lot of exposure.

[41:55] Scotty Katzmann: A lot. Okay. Anyways, go ahead.

[41:57] Scotty Katzmann: Okay, I love it. All right, we're we're on to question three already. All right, greatest baseball game or sporting event you've ever been to.

[42:04] Jodi Benson: Um Auburn University, uh, college where my husband and my sister-in-law went. So the uh national game, uh for the finals in uh Glendale, Arizona, and we were there and they won. So that was just like the most amazing sporting event I've ever been to.

[42:27] Scotty Katzmann: That really is that sounds amazing. It's always cool to have a memory like that from a from a live sporting event. Um yeah, that's that's that's awesome. Auburn Tigers were eagle. Let's go.

[42:39] Jodi Benson: I love that. Excluding your own favorite Disney film, Cinderella.

[42:47] Jodi Benson: That that's the movie that I grew up with. So that's my first impression of Disney is Cinderella, definitely.

[42:55] Scotty Katzmann: Oh, okay. This is a hardball question. This is a tough one, I'll say. Um you can be the lead in one Broadway show. What would it be?

[43:03] Jodi Benson: Um right now. Uh, if I were 30 years younger, I would say Elsa and Frozen, because of um, of course, the beautiful music, the costumes and the set, but it's Disney, but also the reaction of all the kids in the audience. I think that would just be amazing to have them singing along with you. But I'd have to be a whole lot younger to play that role.

[43:34] Scotty Katzmann: So yeah, that's okay. You know a thing or two about great American music. Who's America's band? The Beach Boys or the Eagles?

[43:41] Jodi Benson: Eagles, Eagles, yeah.

[43:46] Scotty Katzmann: I'm not a Beach Boy fan, sorry.

[43:49] Jodi Benson: How is it disappointed? You may have just defended Al.

[43:54] Scotty Katzmann: I mean, if we can talk about the Doobie Brothers, we can talk about Chicago, we can talk about Hollow Notes, we can talk about Little River Band, we can talk about the Eagles, but I'm not a Beach Boy fan.

[44:06] Jodi Benson: If it means you're an Eagles fan, that's all right. I I sp I specifically asked them because they're my two favorite fans.

[44:14] Scotty Katzmann: Okay, all right. Um, you have to binge watch the Brady Bunch or Full House, which are you binging?

[44:22] Jodi Benson: Oh my goodness. Um, gonna go with Brady Bunch. Gonna go with Brady Bunch because I probably did watch every episode growing up of that. I I I uh I was pretty good with that show. Wasn't a full house fan. Um, but again, that's later in life, you know. And then of course my kids weren't involved in that one either. So, but yeah, I grew up with Brady Bunch.

[44:45] Scotty Katzmann: Yeah, I I actually my like first exposure to Brady Bunch was like two weeks ago when I watched WandaVision, and I was like, oh, what are they like? What is this? Yeah, so I'm like going back and watching these old shows now. But that's a cool like I like what they're doing with that. That's a really cool idea.

[45:00] Jodi Benson: Very cool. I know we're getting a little off topic there, but um, yeah, it's cool. And I I feel like hopefully think like shows of that nature that you know are are a little more nostalgic to you know pr prior generations can bring in, you know, people.

[45:13] Jodi Benson: Yes, right. Yeah, exactly. It was really smart, very smart idea. We've got the final three swings here. Broadway does, Jody. What is your most embarrassing on stage moment?

[45:25] Jodi Benson: Oh gosh, there's many. Um probably when a set piece hit me, uh, hit me over the head, and I kind of was flattened out, and then um proceeded to get back on stage and perform the rest of Crazy for You. And by the end of the show, my eyes were swollen and my nose were sole. And I look like uh somebody had blown up my face like a balloon. So yeah, that's probably pretty embarrassing.

[46:02] Scotty Katzmann: Hard to top that one. Scotty boy?

[46:04] Scotty Katzmann: Yeah, okay, okay. 180 now, uh proudest moment of your career.

[46:09] Jodi Benson: Ooh, uh I I probably say becoming a Disney legend. I think that that was really such a magical day and a culmination of such great memories. Yeah, I would say that I'd probably say that day.

[46:28] Scotty Katzmann: And lastly, what's the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you?

[46:33] Jodi Benson: Hmm. Savor every moment. That is the advice I was given. And uh I pass that on to everybody. People always ask me, what does savor mean? Like, well, savory. Savory means to make something really, you know, bring out the full flavor of something. So the way I kind of translate it into life is to when we savor every moment of our day and live in the present as opposed to thinking ahead or thinking behind, we are bringing out the full flavor of that exact same moment. And then I think especially in raising kids and having any type of special memories, um I don't want to look back and not remember because I missed it, you know, because I I was thinking about something else, either the past or the future, either of which is completely out of my control.

So what I do have the opportunity is is to live today in this moment right now. And so that's that's the greatest advice I was given. And I pass that on to everybody, especially to parents of young kids or about to have kids. I I always say, please don't wish them to be three or four, or wish them to not be a baby, or I wish, I wish, I wish. I'm like, please just you know lock in to this day right now and enjoy, really enjoy because it it flies by quickly. It really does. Yep, that's the greatest advice I've received.

[48:09] Al Malafronte: That's absolutely amazing, Jody. And uh, you know, I alluded to it in the intro, you're really the good stuff in show business.

[48:15] Jodi Benson: Oh, you're so sweet. Thank you.

[48:17] Al Malafronte: That's so that's such a kind thing to say.

[48:21] Jodi Benson: Oh, of course. And yeah, I'm so grateful you could be on here with us tonight. I'm so excited for our audience to enjoy this. If everyone at home wants to connect with you on social media and see all the cool stuff that you're doing to keep folks entertained, where's the best place where they could find you?

[48:33] Jodi Benson: Well, it's kind of funny because I'm like the most non-technological person, but I've had to jump in and um I do have some social media accounts, and the one that seems to be uh the best way right now is Instagram, and that's uh Jody.benson. And I do make sure to let people know my virtual events, um, in person events, how to buy tickets, that kind of a thing, how to get an autograph, how to do video messages and things like that in this virtual world that we're in right now. And uh yeah, so that's that's the way people reach out to me every day.

[49:12] Al Malafronte: Wonderful. Well, I it was really such an honor. And Scotty, I'm glad that you got to uh join in for this one too. It was so great.

[49:19] Scotty Katzmann: Oh yeah, thanks for having me. This is a lot of fun. This is really cool.

[49:23] Jodi Benson: Thank you, Scotty, for the song. That was a good idea.

[49:27] Scotty Katzmann: Just let me know if you want to know what.

[49:29] Jodi Benson: And thank you, Al, for having me. It was a lot of fun. I appreciate you guys inviting me. It was very fun. And all the best to to you guys and your podcast and your followers and your listeners and and everything. So thank you so much.

[49:43] Al Malafronte: Oh, you're very welcome. Well, folks, and uh this is Al Malafronte signing off for the uh Broadway Podcast Network. Can't thank you enough for listening tonight. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. We'll see you next time.

[49:58] Al Malafronte: Thanks for listening to Break a Bat. This is produced by the fine folks at the Broadway Podcast Network. Visit and subscribe at BPN.fm slash breakabat. You can find me online at break underscore a underscore bat underscore podcast. And you can also find the Broadway Podcast Network on Instagram at Broadway Podcast Network. It's been so great having you here with us today, and we'll see you next time.