Jenifer Lewis, the voice of Mama Odie from The Princess and the Frog, visited The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to experience the first-ever Princess Tiana exhibit. We were fortunate enough to interview her at the museum to hear what she thought about it!
Jenifer Lewis at Tiana’s Joyful Celebration
Walt Disney Imagineering recently brought the next chapter of Princess Tiana’s story to life with a brand-new exhibit: Tiana’s Joyful Celebration. It’s located at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana.
WDWNT was invited to interview the actress at the museum after she had the opportunity to experience the exhibit. Here’s what she had to say about the exhibit.
What does Princess Tiana represent to you personally, especially in a museum exhibit setting where kids are learning and playing?
“Well, what was so exciting about reading the script when I first got it was that this was a princess who really had a dream to do it for herself, you know, the first princess that had a job. So it was those things about the script, first of all, that excited me. I can hear myself as Mama Odie in the background. And, she’s everywhere in the exhibit, and I’m just really excited about that.
Princess and the Frog has a great story. Well, being human. How wonderful it is digging a little deeper to become more—it’s all there. It’s all there for the kids to learn. Here at the exhibit, they get to interact with the whole Mardi Gras scene, which everybody knows is fun. You’ve got the food, the history, the restaurants! It’s the whole culture of New Orleans, and who doesn’t love New Orleans?”
When you first saw or heard about Tiana’s Joyful Celebration at the Children’s Museum, what stood out to you the most? What do you hope kids remember most after experiencing the exhibit?
“I want them to remember that…give me a moment for this…I want them to know that the world is big, but it’s real small, too. And that there is so much to see and so much to learn. This is just one amazing exhibit. See them all. Learn about everything that you can.
This particular exhibit is so magical. It’s all here: the food, the fashion, the grace, the dancing. I think that was my favorite! Someone is teaching them how to tap dance. I remember going to New York and learning how to tap dance. The whole exhibit is just fun and magical.”
What’s different about voicing a character like Mama Odie through an exhibit or attraction compared to film and voice acting?
“It’s the same. You have to become that character—all of you has to be engulfed in the creating of a human being, even if you’re playing a frog, the script says dialogue. So, you go in there and you have to become the frog, the pig, the monkey. But it’s human. It has human feelings because that’s who presenting it, you see.
There is so no separation. You have to become these characters. You don’t get to look off just because you’re in a booth and the camera is not on you because these children will know if you’re not telling the whole truth. They will feel it because it’s such a great connection.”
Curious what the exhibit is all about? Visitors will explore the art, food, dance, music, and spirit of New Orleans alongside Princess Tiana. The storyline of the exhibit is that Tiana is getting ready for a Mardi Gras parade and celebration in her childhood neighborhood, and she needs help because the parade time got moved up one hour! Everyone must come together and contribute their unique talents – a bit of their special spice – to pull the parade together in time.
Check out our tour of the Tiana’s Joyful Celebration exhibit:
Have you been to The Children’s Museum to experience Tiana’s Joyful Celebration? Let us know on social media.
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