Anika Noni Rose has been cast as the voice of Princess Tiana in Disney's new animated flick "The Princess and the Frog," reports Variety.  The character's name was previously Maddy and she was originally a chambermaid.  The story is set in New Orleans' French Quarter during the Jazz Age.  Other elements of the plot that have been released (or at least floated around in rumorspace) include a love interest in the form of a European prince, a villain in the form of a "Voodoo magician/fortune teller," and a fairy godmother figure who is a 200-year-old Voodoo priestess. 

Rose is best known for her role in Oscar darling "Dreamgirls," for which she was nominated for both an Image Award and a Screen Actors' Guild Award.

The film has already stirred up controversy in some circles, mainly with concerns over how the characters will be handled.  However, one should keep in mind the original storyline for "Mulan," which was -- in the words of the producers themselves -- stereotyped and offensive.  Disney has a spotty history with cultural awareness and so on in their animated works; as more information for this film becomes available, we'll see how well they do this time around.

(Additional information: Wikipedia)