Julie Constantini would love to see a day where the best high school actors and musicians combine for an all-county musical.

“For the longest time, I have thought it would be great to have an All-County type musical so kids could get the opportunity to perform under different directors, in a different auditorium, and perform with some of the best singers and actors from each high school,” Costantini said. “My colleague, Jim Foley, and I decided to take on the task and co-direct the show.”

Constantini has started the process over the past few years with summertime performances that feature cast members from throughout Chautauqua County. A recent performance of Legally Blonde featured performers from Jamestown, Falconer, Southwestern, Pine Valley, Portville, Panama, Dunkirk and Maple Grove who began rehearsals in June for a performance at the end of July.

In our opinion, a true all-county musical is an idea whose time has come. The Chautauqua County Music Teachers’ Association has shown that all-county music festivals are enriching for both students and guest conductors who come from school districts near and far to participate. And, lest we forget, shared sports teams have become a way for school districts with smaller numbers of athletes to participate in high school athletics.

A musical featuring the best talent from Chautauqua County would be a sight to see. It would be great to see more and more schools add students to Constantini and Foley’s performances.