Mar 1, 2025 2 min read

While high school athletes often find themselves in the spotlight, it’s time for wicked witches and Greek gods to take the center stage.

Spring musical season has started in Fayette, Washington and Greene counties, and talented local students stand ready to show off their months of hard work.

From tried-and-true shows like “Guys and Dolls” and “Grease” to contemporary musicals like “Mamma Mia!” and “Hadestown,” our local shows offer something for everyone.

The shows should also serve as a reminder of how important arts programs are.

Funding for music, art, choral, drama and a myriad of other creative classes has been consistently slashed over the last two decades, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The academy cites the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which defined arts as a “core academic subject,” and the 2015 Every Child Succeeds Act, which defined them as part of a “well-rounded education.”

According to data in the 2021 article, “While 88% of Americans agree that arts education is an essential component of a well-rounded education, there has been a persistent decline in support for arts education, particularly in communities that cannot finance it on their own.”

Across Pennsylvania, just over 10% of public school students have no access to arts programs, according to the Arts Education Data Project from the nonprofit State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education.

The numbers closer to home are higher: 27.6% of students in Fayette, 14.5% in Greene, and 11.6% in Washington don’t benefit from the enrichment arts classes can bring.

That’s sad, considering studies have consistently found that students who study the arts have better grades, social skills and social tolerance.

Despite this, in many districts, that type of education is undervalued.

So, as important as it is to show our local students you support them, it’s just as important that our school administrators and elected board members know how valuable these programs are.

One of the ways you can do that is to show your support during musical season.

With offerings from 11 districts in Washington County, eight in Fayette and five in Greene, there are plenty of opportunities to do so.

And to those who think musicals are silly (because who randomly breaks out in song?), suspend your disbelief and go in with an open mind.

“Maybe” it’ll help you “Put on a Happy Face,” and you’ll say “Thank You for the Music.”