Blackfoot Crossing Sparkles with Andrea Menard
Jenna Campbell
Times Contributor
Sparkle is not only the name of Andrea Menard’s holiday concert tour, but is also the title of the song which ignited the idea of ‘spark.’ This evolved into the ‘Little Spark Tour,’ which emphasizes that everyone encompasses a light within. Beginning with a number of endless metaphors, one in particular being, “we are all sparks of a bonfire,” said Menard, which she believes symbolizes family and unity of all heritages.
Andrea Menard is a multi talented Métis woman who describes herself as having the four elements of a medicine wheel: “I am an actor, a singer, a writer and an ambassador.” Menard is Gemini-nominated for ‘Best Performance by an Actress’ in television and has two albums under her belt aside from Sparkle, including Simple Steps and The Velvet Devil. Some of Menard’s music has a jazzy 1940’s feel while other songs are more of a folk roots style.
Menard and her six piece band, including co-writer and producer of Sparkle and, other two albums, Robert Walsh and special guest Stephen Maguire are doing their second Sparkle Tour, and performed for the first time at Blackfoot Crossing Heritage Park, Dec 2. The evening show began with appetizers and ended with a performance which centered on love, unity and family. The ‘Little Spark,’ show, which focused towards empowering youth, had students from the Siksika Crowfoot School in attendance. The ‘Little Spark’ show was created after Menard had kids singing with her on stage to Sparkle, during last year’s Sparkle holiday television special on APTN.
“It was one of those magical things, so we started thinking of going into schools and creating an educational component. I know for me, as a child, I needed to be empowered. I thought if there are others out there who don’t remember that they are sparks of light, we need to go and remind them, and of course my greatest joy is when we have 30 kids come up on stage and sing Sparkle with me,” said Menard.
When Menard visited BCHP with long time friend Beverly Wright, VP, Programs and Business at BCHP , she knew she had to make a stop at BCHP in her Sparkle tour.
“I came as a visitor and fell in love with the land and in love with this incredible building. Beverly Wright is someone I have been connected with for a very long time and we made that happen. I don’t know the youth from here, but if they’re anything like my relatives and friends from back home in Saskatchewan, we do, aboriginal people, as all people do, need a reminder that we are all sparks and that we all hold a light within us,” said Menard.
The matinee show had the theatre full of Siksika students and Wright feels the show was a complete success.
“The afternoon show was a lot more dialogued-based with the kids to communicate that each kid was a sparkle and to remember that always. At the end, one of the classes actually practised a song and came up and sang it with the band. It was a lot of fun,” said Wright.
As for the evening show, Wright thought more people could have came out, but took into consideration that the BCHP is a remote facility and that that ticket prices may have been an issue, with he show being so close to Christmas.
“If we do it again, I think we would for sure adjust ticket prices, and make it more of a community, family sort of thing,” said Wright.
Wright would love to bring back Menard and the Sparkle show to BCHP but, says it’s all a matter of funding and what the management will say.
“A couple of our board members were there and they had a good time. One of our board members was taken up on stage as part of the show, and during the afternoon show, one of our council members was watching her granddaughter so that was great,” said Wright.
You can look of for Andrea Menard in the new season of Blackstone which will showcase on APTN this upcoming January as well as future Sparkle tours in the future.