- 5 days ago
A family-style conversation with generations of beloved Black Storytellers explores the inspiring and empowering legacy of Princess Tiana as her story hops from the big screen into the trailblazing new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Oh, we are on day three, day three, the final day of Essence Fest, and we are celebrating 30 years of festival, y'all. Give it up!
00:12Have you been enjoying the show so far? Me too, y'all. Now, okay, we all know how I feel about Disney.
00:18At this point, I feel like we're in a relationship together. Y'all know me, right? We friends. No, I'm sorry, we cousins, right?
00:25So you guys know I have a thing for Disney. I literally probably go to Disneyland, Disney World at least two to three times a year.
00:34I got to, whether I can afford it or not. I might borrow from somebody just to go to Disney because I love it that much, and now my kids love it, so I'm in big old trouble.
00:43But anyways, we have this next segment. It's going to be obviously a favorite for mine because what? It's Disney! Give it up!
00:50Yes, indeed. There are so many great new attractions at Disney, but one of my personal favorites, why?
00:58Because it's one of my favorite movies, and my daughter absolutely loves Tiana.
01:05Yes, Tiana has a new attraction at Disney, and it is a must-see. It's Tiana's Bayou Adventure,
01:12so make sure the next time you're at Disney World that you go and check that out.
01:17That's right. Your favorite Disney princess now has her own ride, and some of the cast of the Princess and the Frog,
01:23let me say that right, and now some of the cast of Princess and the Frog are here to celebrate.
01:29Y'all see the bear behind me?
01:32Let's get excited, y'all! Let's go!
01:35This is Tiana, formally request.
01:37Hmm. Hmm.
01:40Hey, y'all. I'm having a grand celebration, and you wouldn't want to miss it.
01:45Just drop on end!
01:47Whoo!
04:45Please give a warm Crescent City welcome to Disney Live Entertainment Show Director, Brooke Aston Harper.
05:15Come on now.
05:32Give it up for Eighth Note meets Mahomes and the came-to-play crew.
05:38Let's go.
05:39Let's go.
05:40Let's go.
05:41As they said, my name is Brooke Aston Harper and I am a show director for Disney Live Entertainment based out of the Disneyland Resort where my Californians at.
05:52Come on now.
05:53Come on now.
05:54You knew we flew all the way here.
05:56All right.
05:57All right.
05:58And today, we are thrilled to be down here in New Orleans with Disney experiences to celebrate a hopping new attraction at Disney Parks nationwide.
06:07In 2009, Walt Disney Animation Studios premiere American Fairytale Feature Film.
06:15Y'all try saying that three times fast.
06:17Y'all try saying that three times fast.
06:18The princess and the frog.
06:19Come on now.
06:20Come on now.
06:21Come on now.
06:22Introduce the world to Tiana and audiences fell in love, didn't we?
06:27Didn't we?
06:28We did.
06:29That's right.
06:30Walt Disney Imagineering continues the tale of Disney's first black princess in the all-new Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
06:39I'm looking for Sharon Stallworth.
06:40Sharon Stallworth, please report to the nearest security personnel for an important message.
07:01Okay, Sharon.
07:05The thrilling new attraction now open at Walt Disney World Florida and at my house coming soon to the Disneyland Resort in California reunites guests with favorite characters from the original film.
07:18And expands Tiana's rich Bayou Milieu with a completely new chapter of her story.
07:28Tiana's Bayou Adventure builds on the cherished legacy of black storytelling through lived experiences of the many talented storytellers who have breathed life into Tiana for 15 years.
07:41This is the anniversary, y'all. 15 years.
07:44So now I am beyond excited to introduce to you some of the creative queens behind Tiana's journey from movie screen to the Magic Kingdom.
07:57Now, let's bring out here Disney Imagineers Charita Carter and Carmen Smith, the legendary Jennifer Lewis, and Princess Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose!
08:12Two of my heroes!
08:13Come on Charita!
08:14Hey!
08:15Miss Carmen!
08:16Miss Carmen!
08:17Two of my heroes!
08:18And she's coming, y'all.
08:33And she's coming, y'all.
08:35Don't you worry.
08:36Can we get a hand for these incredible ladies?
09:06Well, shall we sit?
09:09Let's take a seat.
09:11Let's have a little conversation.
09:16It's the dress for me, y'all.
09:18It's the dress for me.
09:19You better sit, Anika.
09:20If you have ever wondered what black excellence looks like, you are seeing it right now.
09:29I am truly humbled to be in the presence of this beauty, this wisdom, this talent.
09:37Okay?
09:37You know what I'm talking about?
09:39Each of you has forged an indelible legacy of black storytelling.
09:43Both your paths have been intertwined, giving your own special spice to the story of Tiana.
09:50So, Anika, you have brought your voice to this beloved character since the beginning.
09:56They love you.
09:56They love you.
09:57Come on now.
09:58As a musical theater girl myself, I was the first one in the theater.
10:07But I think some might be surprised by all the ways you influenced Tiana as she came to life on the animator's desk.
10:14So, before we get into our conversation, we're just going to show them a little taste of that above our heads.
10:19No problem.
10:20Up above my head.
10:21Anika was terrific to work with.
10:24She has a lot of, I think, Tiana in her in that she's so smart and so focused and yet very, very appealing.
10:31When you find something that you love, it's not a sacrifice at all.
10:36She asked me in one of the very first recording sessions, she said, could she be left-handed?
10:41Because I'm left-handed.
10:42I said, yeah.
10:43Oh, yeah, certainly.
10:44Why not?
10:45I did not mean to scare you.
10:47Wait, no, no, no.
10:48Wait.
10:49Hold on.
10:49You have a very strong-armed princess.
10:54Anything the mind can believe, animation, 2D animation especially, can achieve.
11:00We're creating Disney's next princess.
11:03We want to make sure it stands right up against all the other great princesses, you know, before her.
11:07So, as a young black woman yourself, what experiences did you draw on to give Tiana such an entrepreneurial spirit?
11:21I think I basically drew on myself.
11:25I come from a very small town in Connecticut.
11:29I wanted to do something that people constantly told me was not possible because of where I was from
11:36and who had or had not come before me.
11:39But my dream was forefront in my brain, and it was the thing that I was going to follow.
11:45So, as far as that movement, that was from me.
11:49Learning about New Orleans and learning about that time period, I had the great Leah Chase to look at as an example of somebody who was here and did just that.
12:02So, a lot of it was from me.
12:05Some was from her and just life experience, my grandmother.
12:09But I know what it is to be told that I can't do something, and I know what it is to keep pushing forward.
12:14So, that was very clear to me from the beginning.
12:17That is beautiful.
12:18Isn't that beautiful, everybody?
12:19Come on now.
12:20So, Jennifer, I think everyone here needs to see your reaction to the new audio animatronic version of Mama Odie.
12:30So, we're going to go ahead and throw to this video up here.
12:33Oh, my God.
12:33Here it is.
12:34Hey, sweetie.
12:36It's Mama Odie.
12:38Oh, not audio.
12:40Tiana sure knows how to make a party special.
12:43I love where she goes.
12:46There's doo-doo.
12:48Doo-doo.
12:49Her movements.
12:51Everything is there.
12:52You guys did an amazing job on this.
12:56Now, what am I going to do with you guys?
12:58Where did you get your brains?
13:00It's ridiculous.
13:01Two, three, four.
13:03You got to dig, come on, a little deeper.
13:06Find out who you are.
13:08You got to dig a little deeper.
13:10I just, I want to just hug you off.
13:12Well, I know it's not mine, but this is a gift.
13:15This is such an amazing gift.
13:17Bye, honey.
13:18I'll see you in the park, okay?
13:21Oh, yes, Miss Jennifer.
13:24So, Miss Jennifer, what was it like stepping back into the iconic role after 15 years?
13:28What was it like to step back into this iconic role after 15 years?
13:32To revisit?
13:33Listen, guys.
13:34Hi, everybody.
13:36Hey, all right now.
13:39Here we go.
13:41Listen, I drew from a comedian.
13:46Her name is Moms Mabley.
13:49Yeah, I'm glad you know who she is because I got my comic timing from her.
13:56My mother had all of her albums.
13:59So, when I went into the audition for Mama Odie, they asked me if I could play an old woman.
14:06So, I just took my teeth out like that.
14:09Somebody asked me, Juju, my gumbo's burning.
14:14That's what they asked me to say.
14:16So, I had a great time auditioning.
14:18But what Mama Odie means to me is she captures the flavor of New Orleans.
14:29That grandmother that cooked gumbo.
14:32That grandmother that would sing to you and tell you, you got to dig a little deeper.
14:38So, I really put everything in me from Moms Mabley to my aunts in St. Louis, Missouri.
14:50St. Louis is right up the river.
14:53Yeah.
14:53So, we have those same recipes for cooking.
14:58And I think that the ride really captured the New Orleans culture.
15:04So, don't miss it when you get to Disneyland or Disney World.
15:09Really go in there and enjoy all of that.
15:12Thank you so much.
15:14Yes.
15:15And to speak about the ride, we have here legendary Imagineers, Carmen and Charita.
15:21Two of my heroes as well.
15:25Where will guests meet?
15:27So, where will guests meet her in this new chapter?
15:31Well, you know, in this new chapter, it takes place about a year after the movie.
15:37And so, Tiana, you know, she's celebrating the success of Tiana's Palace, her restaurant.
15:42But now, she's brought the community together.
15:45And she has a new brand called Tiana's Foods.
15:49And so, again, her entrepreneurial spirit reigns high.
15:53And, again, it is so inspirational.
15:55I know I'm inspired.
15:57That's right.
15:57And, Charita, how did Imagineers faithfully capture the city's aesthetic and atmosphere?
16:03Well, you know, the attraction is a love letter to the city of New Orleans.
16:07And we got some feedback last night that it's not only a love letter, but it's a hug and a love letter.
16:13And Disney has a long history with the beautiful city of New Orleans.
16:17It goes all the way back to when Walt brought New Orleans Square to Disneyland.
16:22So, we have been involved with this city.
16:25But one of the things I think that was really special about developing this attraction was the fact that we had the opportunity to collaborate with a number of local artists and talent.
16:36Artists like Malaika Favorite, Sharika Mahdi, Variant, Laurent, Darryl Reeves, who was a blacksmith, and his apprentice, Katrina.
16:47Katrina.
16:49What is Katrina's last name?
16:50Come on.
16:51What's Katrina's last name?
16:52Who knows it?
16:52Katrina Roka.
16:53Oh, there we go.
16:54She got it.
16:55Katrina would get me if I messed that up.
16:57And then, in addition to that, we got to work with legendary and multi-Grammy award-winning musicians like P.J. Morton and Terrence Blanchard.
17:06But, of course, it was an absolute blessing to be able to work with the family of the late Leah Chase, whose legacy was the inspiration for the character of Tiana.
17:18And we all know the Chase family.
17:20Isn't that right, Nolens?
17:21We do.
17:22We do, indeed.
17:23So, Tiana's Bayou Adventure, in so many ways, is a story about legacy, the legacy of character, the legacy of a city, and the legacies of the storytellers that made this new experience a reality.
17:36So, that was really beautiful, Charita.
17:39And as a cast member and a creative myself, you and Carmen have certainly inspired me.
17:44So, thank you.
17:44Thank you so much.
17:45The care, the heart, the passion that you have poured into Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
17:50The all-over experience.
17:52I know what you've crafted will become an instant classic, y'all.
17:57So, you all gots to come visit us.
17:59Please, please, please do.
18:02But we have a little surprise for you here.
18:06I love it when the boys just appear.
18:08It's amazing.
18:10That's right.
18:11We wanted to give these flowers to our friends here because we are honored and privileged to show them just a little appreciation for all the work that they have done on this attraction and for the many, many years that they have been part of the Walt Disney Company.
18:28So, thank you, thank you, thank you for blazing a path for me to be able to sit here, too.
18:34It's our honor to bring this story, this classic story, to life.
18:37Yeah, it's an absolute honor, and I just thank God that this was my assignment.
18:45That's right.
18:45We do what we're told, and we love to do it with a smile.
18:48That's right.
18:49So, thank you again for being shining examples of excellence.
18:53We're going to go ahead and let you head on out with these gentlemen here.
18:57You, too, Miss Jennifer, please give it up for the incredible, the legendary Jennifer Lewis.
19:08And my incredible castmates, Carmen Smith and Charita Carter.
19:15Now, I know you all noticed that I didn't let her leave, right?
19:19Because, you know, we cannot let her leave.
19:21There is a band here.
19:23She's got a microphone, and she looks good.
19:26So, please make some noise.
19:28Would you please bless us with a song, my new friend?
19:34First, I want to say, what's up, New Orleans?
19:38I'm so happy to be here.
19:40It's been 15 years since we made this movie, and I've never been here as Tiana.
19:46I can't even talk about it too much, because I would cry.
19:49I love y'all so much.
19:50I'm so grateful for the way that you have loved me.
19:53This is the came-to-play crew, everybody.
20:01Come on now, make some noise for the came-to-play crew.
20:03In the Southland, there's a city, way down on the river, where the women are very pretty, and all the men deliver.
20:19They got music, it's always playing, starting the daytime, walk through the night.
20:27And when you hear that music playing, you hear what I'm saying, make you feel all right.
20:34Grab somebody, come on down, bring a paintbrush, we're painting the town.
20:54There's some sweetness going around, dreams do come true.
21:04Give it up for Miss Anika Doni Rose and the came-to-play crew.
21:18All right, band.
21:19Come on now.
21:20We are so glad you joined us today.
21:24One more time for our princess, please.
21:27Thank you, y'all.
21:30I love y'all.
21:32I love y'all.
21:33All right, come on now.
21:36Go, band.
21:36Come on, get us up.
21:37I cannot walk unless I have music, is the thing.
21:40You ready?
21:41I cannot walk unless I have music, is the thing.
22:11I cannot walk unless I have music, is the thing.
22:41I cannot walk unless I have music, is the thing I have music, is the thing I have music.
22:43We are so glad you can get it.
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