Princess Tiana
Encyclopedia
Tiana is the main protagonist of Disney's
2009
film The Princess and the Frog which is loosely based on the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker. At the start of the movie she is a waitress and aspiring restaurateur living in the French Quarter
of New Orleans during the Jazz Age
. She is voiced by Anika Noni Rose
and is the ninth princess in the Disney Princess franchise.
. Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta stated "Tiana will be a heroine in the great tradition of Disney’s rich animated fairy tale legacy, and all other characters and aspects of the story will be treated with the greatest respect and sensitivity."
and Anika Noni Rose
were top contenders for the voice of Tiana, and that Alicia Keys
directly contacted Disney's studio chief Dick Cook
, telling him that she wanted the role very much. It was later revealed that Tyra Banks
was considered for the role as well. On April 19, 2007, it was confirmed that Anika Noni Rose would be voicing the outgoing Princess Tiana.
Her dreams come to a halt, however, when the realtors who sold her the building meet her at the party and tell her that she has been outbid. To add insult to injury, they accidentally ruin her costume. Charlotte kindly loans her a new dress and tiara but leaves her by herself as she rejoins the party. In her despair, Tiana tries wishing on the Evening Star and immediately finds a frog sitting next to her. After sarcastically asking if he wants a kiss, the frog reveals himself to be the real Prince Naveen, transformed by a spell from the evil voodoo master, Dr. Facilier. Naveen mistakes Tiana for a princess and believes she can save him by kissing him, promising that he can reward her. Tiana reluctantly agrees, only to transform into a frog herself once they kiss. The two fight and inadvertently cause a ruckus at the party and are whisked to the bayou. Just before going there, they hear Stella the hound dog
who chases them say Tiana's name.
While on the run from hungry gators, Tiana strikes a deal with Naveen, demanding that once he marries Charlotte, he will use the money he gets from her to help Tiana buy the restaurant. Things change, however, on their journey to end the spell. They both meet a jazz-playing alligator named Louis and a Cajun firefly named Ray, who help them reach the voodoo priestess Mama Odie. Tiana and Naveen help each other escape from frog hunters and Tiana teaches Naveen to help her cook. As Ray sings an ode to his true love "Evangeline", Naveen shows Tiana how to dance, something that she has never done before because she was afraid to. Both frogs find themselves falling in love with one another, but are unsure how to say it.
Eventually Tiana finds herself face to face with Facilier himself, who promises to make her dream of "Tiana's Place" a reality if she hands over a voodoo charm which plays a significant role in his plans. After reminding her of all the work she has done and the people who held her back, he shows her an image of her late father, telling her that she can make sure the dream he never lived to see come true. Seeing her family together, Tiana finally realizes what her father had meant that he never got what he wanted but he had love, what he needed. Tiana is able to smash the charm and leaves Facilier at the mercy of the angry voodoo spirits.
Tiana finds Naveen, who is promising Charlotte that he will marry her but only if she will give Tiana her restaurant. Tiana stops him and finally admits that she loves him. Moved, Charlotte says she will kiss Naveen, "no marriage required", but it is already midnight and she is too late to break the spell. Tiana and Naveen get married in the bayou. Once they kiss, they finally become human again because Tiana is now a princess. Louis "terrifies" the realtors into accepting Tiana's offer. Together, Naveen and Tiana open the restaurant, now named "Tiana's Palace" and dance under the stars. Tiana's singing voice is provided by Olivia Olson
.
; and later at the Disneyland Resort
. Tiana and Naveen will soon be in the "Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade". Tiana and Naveen are also doing meet and greets at Walt Disney World's Liberty Square. She will join Disney's "Once upon a Dream Parade
" at Disneyland Paris in April 2010 as part of the "New Generations Festival
". Tiana also joined Fantasmic!
in early January 2010 during the finale with the Mark Twain Riverboat
. Tiana, along with Naveen, Doctor Facilier, and Ray each make a cameo appearance in Disney's World of Color at Disney California Adventure.
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
film The Princess and the Frog which is loosely based on the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker. At the start of the movie she is a waitress and aspiring restaurateur living in the French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
of New Orleans during the Jazz Age
Jazz Age
The Jazz Age was a movement that took place during the 1920s or the Roaring Twenties from which jazz music and dance emerged. The movement came about with the introduction of mainstream radio and the end of the war. This era ended in the 1930s with the beginning of The Great Depression but has...
. She is voiced by Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....
and is the ninth princess in the Disney Princess franchise.
Development
Tiana is the first African American princess in the Disney Princess franchise and the second American after PocahontasPocahontas (Disney)
Pocahontas is one of the main characters of Disney's 1995, thirty-third animated feature, Pocahontas, and its direct-to-video sequel, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World...
. Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta stated "Tiana will be a heroine in the great tradition of Disney’s rich animated fairy tale legacy, and all other characters and aspects of the story will be treated with the greatest respect and sensitivity."
Voice casting
It was reported that a group of different great women wanted the role of Tiana. In February 2007 it was reported that Jennifer HudsonJennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
and Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose is an American singer and actress known for her Tony Award winning performance in the Broadway production of Caroline, or Change and her starring roles in the films Dreamgirls and The Princess and the Frog....
were top contenders for the voice of Tiana, and that Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
directly contacted Disney's studio chief Dick Cook
Dick Cook
Richard W. "Dick" Cook is the former Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios. At the time of his separation from the company, he was the only remaining top Disney executive who had worked for the company since before Michael Eisner took charge in 1984...
, telling him that she wanted the role very much. It was later revealed that Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks
Tyra Lynne Banks is an American model, media personality, actress, occasional singer, author and businesswoman. She first became famous as a model, but television appearances were her commercial breakthrough...
was considered for the role as well. On April 19, 2007, it was confirmed that Anika Noni Rose would be voicing the outgoing Princess Tiana.
The Princess and the Frog
The film follows a waitress and aspiring restaurant owner Tiana as she tries to fulfill her late father's dream. In the opening scene, we see our heroine as a 5-year old child in 1912, sharing the dinner she has made with her friends and family. Her father reminds her to never forget what is truly important, however. As Tiana grows, we see her working two jobs to save up enough money for her restaurant. The opportunity to finally secure it comes when her best friend, Charlotte LaBouff, pays her to make dessert for a masquerade ball honoring the arrival of Prince Naveen of Maldonia. Despite her mother's worries, Tiana remains single minded in opening "Tiana's Place."Her dreams come to a halt, however, when the realtors who sold her the building meet her at the party and tell her that she has been outbid. To add insult to injury, they accidentally ruin her costume. Charlotte kindly loans her a new dress and tiara but leaves her by herself as she rejoins the party. In her despair, Tiana tries wishing on the Evening Star and immediately finds a frog sitting next to her. After sarcastically asking if he wants a kiss, the frog reveals himself to be the real Prince Naveen, transformed by a spell from the evil voodoo master, Dr. Facilier. Naveen mistakes Tiana for a princess and believes she can save him by kissing him, promising that he can reward her. Tiana reluctantly agrees, only to transform into a frog herself once they kiss. The two fight and inadvertently cause a ruckus at the party and are whisked to the bayou. Just before going there, they hear Stella the hound dog
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...
who chases them say Tiana's name.
While on the run from hungry gators, Tiana strikes a deal with Naveen, demanding that once he marries Charlotte, he will use the money he gets from her to help Tiana buy the restaurant. Things change, however, on their journey to end the spell. They both meet a jazz-playing alligator named Louis and a Cajun firefly named Ray, who help them reach the voodoo priestess Mama Odie. Tiana and Naveen help each other escape from frog hunters and Tiana teaches Naveen to help her cook. As Ray sings an ode to his true love "Evangeline", Naveen shows Tiana how to dance, something that she has never done before because she was afraid to. Both frogs find themselves falling in love with one another, but are unsure how to say it.
Eventually Tiana finds herself face to face with Facilier himself, who promises to make her dream of "Tiana's Place" a reality if she hands over a voodoo charm which plays a significant role in his plans. After reminding her of all the work she has done and the people who held her back, he shows her an image of her late father, telling her that she can make sure the dream he never lived to see come true. Seeing her family together, Tiana finally realizes what her father had meant that he never got what he wanted but he had love, what he needed. Tiana is able to smash the charm and leaves Facilier at the mercy of the angry voodoo spirits.
Tiana finds Naveen, who is promising Charlotte that he will marry her but only if she will give Tiana her restaurant. Tiana stops him and finally admits that she loves him. Moved, Charlotte says she will kiss Naveen, "no marriage required", but it is already midnight and she is too late to break the spell. Tiana and Naveen get married in the bayou. Once they kiss, they finally become human again because Tiana is now a princess. Louis "terrifies" the realtors into accepting Tiana's offer. Together, Naveen and Tiana open the restaurant, now named "Tiana's Palace" and dance under the stars. Tiana's singing voice is provided by Olivia Olson
Olivia Olson
Olivia Olson is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is known for her role of Joanna, singing "All I Want For Christmas Is You" in Love Actually , and for her voice-roles as Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in Phineas and Ferb and as Marceline the Vampire Queen in Adventure Time with Finn and...
.
Disney Theme Parks
On October 26, 2009, "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!" debuted with appearances from Tiana, Naveen, Louis, and Dr. Facilier, at the Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
; and later at the Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort is a recreational resort in Anaheim, California. The resort is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks and Resorts division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Downtown Disney.The area now...
. Tiana and Naveen will soon be in the "Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade". Tiana and Naveen are also doing meet and greets at Walt Disney World's Liberty Square. She will join Disney's "Once upon a Dream Parade
Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade
Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade is a daily parade at Disneyland Park, that premiered on March 31, 2007 for the resort-wide 15th Anniversary Celebration....
" at Disneyland Paris in April 2010 as part of the "New Generations Festival
Mickeys Magical Party
Mickey's Magical Party was a year long celebration during 2009 at Disneyland Paris.The celebration began on 4 April 2009. For the celebration new attractions and entertainment were brought to Disneyland Paris. Mickey's Magical Party ended in March 2010 and was replaced by Disney's New Generation...
". Tiana also joined Fantasmic!
Fantasmic!
Fantasmic! is a Disney nighttime show at Disneyland in the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo Disney Resort. The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large...
in early January 2010 during the finale with the Mark Twain Riverboat
Mark Twain Riverboat
The Mark Twain Riverboat is an attraction, located at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, on which passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America. Originally named the Mark Twain Steamboat when the park opened in 1955, the stately, 5/8-scale...
. Tiana, along with Naveen, Doctor Facilier, and Ray each make a cameo appearance in Disney's World of Color at Disney California Adventure.