Character guide
Eric
from The Little Mermaid
Eric is the human prince and Ariel's love interest in The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken's 2008 Disney musical.
- Show
- The Little Mermaid
- Broadway premiere
- 2008
- Role
- Lead
- Music by
- Alan Menken
Eric: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1989 animated film and 2023 remake
Broadway gives Prince Eric songs of his own: two solos written for the musical, Her Voice and One Step Closer, plus a part in the Act 2 quartet If Only. He also loses his big action moment: in the 1989 film Eric kills Ursula by impaling her with a wrecked ship's bowsprit, while on stage Ariel defeats her by destroying the nautilus shell.
Sean Palmer originated Eric on Broadway in 2008. Christopher Daniel Barnes voiced him in the animated film, and Jonah Hauer-King played him in the 2023 live-action remake, which gives Eric the new song Wild Uncharted Waters and a new adoptive mother, Queen Selina.
Who is Eric?
Eric is a prince who is rescued from a shipwreck by Ariel, though he never sees her clearly and only remembers the sound of her voice as she sang to him. When Ariel later arrives on land unable to speak, Eric is drawn to her without realizing she is the same mysterious rescuer, setting up the central romantic misunderstanding of the show.
Eric's search for the girl whose voice he remembers, paired with his growing affection for the silent Ariel in front of him, drives much of the plot's tension in the second half of the story.
Eric's role in The Little Mermaid
Eric is a lead role in The Little Mermaid, requiring a strong, warm leading man voice for his numbers and duets alongside Ariel. Because Ariel cannot speak for much of the show, Eric's scenes rely heavily on physical chemistry and expressive acting to carry their developing relationship.
The role has been played by performers including Sean Palmer on Broadway. Audiences remember Eric as the classic Disney prince figure, sincere and a little oblivious, whose eventual recognition of Ariel's true identity resolves the show's central romance.
Eric: frequently asked questions
What show is Eric from?
Eric is a lead character in The Little Mermaid, which opened on Broadway in 2008.
Is Eric a lead or supporting role?
Eric is a lead role and Ariel's romantic interest in the show.
Who wrote the music for The Little Mermaid?
Alan Menken composed the music for The Little Mermaid.
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