Disney World explicitly stated that they are opening auditions to transgender actors to play the roles of Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid.

The Walt Disney Company is seeking the roles as part of their upcoming new Hollywood Studios stage show, "The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure," which is replacing their previous "Voyage of the Little Mermaid" show which ran from 1992 to 2020.

The New York-based casting call posted online made the callout. Meanwhile, with other current postings on Disney's casting website, the audition job postings cited men/women, not specifying if the actor/performer had to be cisgender or not.

"18 to 30 years old, White woman, transgender woman. 5’2″ – 5’6″. A spirited, fun-loving, yet curious mermaid princess who longs to be a part of the human world. Lyrical pop soprano with belt to C," the audition callout for Ariel read.

For the role of Eric, the production is seeking a "18 to 30 years old, White man, transgender man. 5’10” – 6’0″. Charismatic and fearless, Prince Eric is a true romantic who never gives up on his heart’s desire. Non-singing role."

The show is set to make its debut in fall 2024 at the Animation Courtyard Theater. According to Disney's preview, this reimaging of the animated film will features new physical sets, puppets, live performers and "stunning visuals." The show will include physical and projected puppetry including blacklight puppets paired with motion capture technology, which is used to create movies today.

Real human actors will perform in the same space as animated characters. The show is said to blend "the line between real and digital in ways we’ve never done before to completely fill the stage for these show-stopping scenes."

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