Dann chats with Disney's first African-American princess

Five questions for Anika Noni Rose, who supplies the voice and personality of Tiana, Walt Disney's first African-American princess in "The Princess and the Frog," coming out on home video Tuesday:

1. What's the difference between acting for stage or movies and creating an animated character?"It was making the physicality real within your voice. Every movement you make in the script has to be reflected in your voice. I had to remember that. Acting is so interactive and reactive. Here, you have to do everything yourself.2. What was the toughest thing you had to do playing Tiana?"Screaming! I'm a singer. I don't really scream. They needed a real horror-film scream, and singers don't do that. We do things high and clean, that's not going to hurt your voice. We had to save that sort of full-throated yelling to the end of the session. I had to really work up to the full-throttle scream."3. Why do you subject yourself to rejection and hard work and the insecurity of being a performer?"I love it. There's nothing else that gives me the same satisfaction. Growing up, I played in 'Fame.' I played Coco. It hit me in such a way, I felt high. Never having done drugs, I don't know what that feeling was like. But I could tap into this feeling any time I liked. It was like the endorphins were flowing through me. I felt so free and so very alive."4. America elected a black president before it saw a Disney black princess on the big screen. What do you think about the timing?"I think it was just the right time. America has gone thought a lot of different phases. We couldn't sit next to each other on buses at one time. There's no way this (movie) could have been made in 1955 or 1965. It could have been made in 1975 or 1985, but then the story would have been different. That's not an excuse, that's just what it is. But it's here now and it's lovely! It's honest and it's classic Disney formula, not in a bad way, but in a good way with a strong story, good music and beautiful imagery. And it happens to be extraordinarily inclusive. It's not a black story. It's an American story."5. What was it like to perform the showstopping finale to "Dream Girls" in 6-inch heels just so you would be in the same frame with your taller co-stars Beyonc#233; and Jennifer Hudson?"They were actually five-and-a-quarter inches. It was pretty much a little bit of hell for my foot. That number was the most painful to shoot. We had to have worked on that number for 15 hours. When I went home, I soaked my feet in warm water and a little flap of skin fell off my little toe. My feet were abused! But had I not worn those 5-and-a-quarter-inch shoes, I would have come up to Jennifer's shoulder."Reel Life review: 'The Art of the Steal'I regard "The Art of the Steal" as one of the most important documentaries made in my lifetime. It angered me. It made me sick in my heart to see how corporate and political interests brutally abused art under the pretense of saving it. Filmmaker Don Argott and his crew deserve major kudos for excellent use of the documentary film form as a tool of pure investigative reporting made with both urgency and clarity.Using a combination of straight reporting, animation, graphic designs and music, Argott creates a surprising amount of drama out of what could be just a dry history lesson.It details how the Barnes Foundation, created in 1922 by wealthy inventor Dr. Albert Barnes, amassed a fortune (about $25 billion) in Post-Impressionist and early Modern art at his school for artists.When a car wreck killed Barnes in 1951, he left behind an ironclad will that stated his collection should never be moved or used for anything but educational purposes. Above all else, the will stressed that the art should never fall into the hands of the Philadelphia Museum, which Barnes loathed ever since its curators dubbed his collection "horrible, debased art."So what do you think happens after 1951? Corporate interests - including the museum and even the Pew Foundation - conspire to take charge of the artwork by slowly invalidating Barnes' will, until every one of the deceased collector's wishes have been voided by judges."Art of the Steal" is an amazing piece of investigative reporting, rich with detail and shaped like a mystery. If you appreciate true art and artists, and understand the motivations of Dr. Barnes, you can't help but feel sheer outrage at what Argott's documentary reveals."Art of the Steal" opens today at the Century Centre in Chicago and the Renaissance Place in Highland Park. Not rated. 101 minutes.Reel Life review: 'The Yellow Handkerchief'Udayan Prasad's low-key road drama "The Yellow Handkerchief" is based on a Pete Hamill short story, but most people might assume it was inspired by Tony Orlando and Dawn's hit song "Tie A Yellow Ribbon (Round the Old Oak Tree)."William Hurt plays Brett Hanson, a just-released ex-con who hooks up with a runaway teen named Martine (Kristen Stewart) and Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), a tightly wired young man with a car. They embark on a cross-country journey through post-Katrina Louisiana.Martine wants to get away from her troubled family. Gordy just wants to go someplace. Only Brett has a destination: to see if there's anything left of his relationship with May (Maria Bello), his lover before his six-year sentence for manslaughter."Yellow Handkerchief" is a drama of quiet revelations as the three travelers struggle to know each other. Hurt, who studied real prisoners for his role, projects a constant radar for danger that prisoners develop. Stewart's knack for giving nothing away works well here. Redmayne (he played Matt Damon's son in "The Good Shepherd") is near-perfect as a well-meaning kid overwhelmed by immaturity and hormones.Prasad knows he has a stellar cast, and freely lets them take the wheel whenever possible."The Yellow Handkerchief" opens today at the River East 21, Chicago. Rated PG-13 for language, sexual situations and violence. 96 minutes.False193209Anika Noni Rose False