The WaterFire ambience in downtown Sharon rivals that of the great stages of Europe, and Angela Grace should know.
A part of the lighting ceremony for each event so far, the singer called the vision of steam rising from the river and smoke from the braziers “enchanting.” “I swear it felt like I was on an opera stage in Italy,” said the YSU and Juilliard-trained songstress.
After living in Leeds, England, Angela returned home in late 2011 to help take care of her father. Earlier this year she ran into fellow Sharon High alumnus Jennifer Barborak, one of WaterFire’s organizers, and learned they were looking for artists to lend their talents to the innovative new festival.
Angela said she’s excited to be a part of something so imaginative that inspires people to think about the town’s possibilities.
When she left in 1999 for New York City, Angela said things were looking dismal for her hometown. “When I left here, there was just nothing. The area was dying.”
Now, there’s a spark and WaterFire is a huge part of igniting it. Angela is confident it’s just the beginning. “We’ll be back.”
She’s come back from hard times herself. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy, Angela said she searched for purpose in her life. The WTC station was her normal subway stop every morning, but on Sept. 11, 2001, she didn’t wake up on time and was running late for work. “I started thinking ‘Why me? Why am I still alive?’” she said. “I threw myself into church … My out was music.”
Her voice has taken her across the ocean and now she’s thrilled to bring it home. At WaterFire, Angela said people were shocked to hear she was a Sharon native. “I’m a little Sharon girl and I take a piece of Sharon with me wherever I go.”
Photo by Jonathon Richardson
And WaterFire is bringing people to Sharon.
Angela said one of the most mesmerizing thing about WaterFire was how many people came from so many places to see what it was about. She noted the great, central location of Sharon, a short drive from Cleveland and Pittsburgh and a day’s trip from other big cities like Chicago, New York and Toronto.
She hopes their interest spurs more action from the locals, too. “I’m hoping that people of this area will see we’re not forgotten. We’re in control of our destiny.” Sharon once boasted a bustling downtown and embracing the arts could help that happen again.
The part of northern England she lived in went through similar problems to the rust belt.
“But they brought it back,” she said, and the arts were a big part of that.
“Everyone loves to be entertained.” The “eclectic array” of arts at Waterfire Sharon means there’s something for everyone.
