Rust Belt to bring back ‘Dating Sucks’

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Rust Belt Theater Company will bring back “Dating Sucks: The Musical” for another year of poking fun at the modern dating scene. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and again Feb. 26 and 27 and March 4 and 5 at the theater’s space in Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave.

Written and directed by Robert Dennick Joki, with orchestration by Josh Taylor and choreography by Marisa Zamary, the revue-style musical explores the peaks and pitfalls of dating, with real-life stories and original songs. Some of the favorites returning from last year are “High School Vampire Boyfriend,” “The Most Honest Love Song That You’ll Ever Hear,” “Friend Zone,” “Call Me Rapey,” “Ay Caramba,” “Monogamy is for Ugly People,” “The Best Christmas Is Christmas Without You,” “Bars and Legs,” “Love is An Open Sore,” “She Likes Cats” and “But Pirates.”

The show also features dialogue taken directly from online dating profiles and mobile dating app conversations. It’s a raunchy multimedia musical that leaves little to the imagination.

The cast includes Marisa Zamary, Nicole Zayas, Starr McClure, David Cirelli, Rachel Clifford, Mary James, Lisa Torrence, Janice Tkachuk, Hannah-Rose Sadlowski, Heather Powell, Chris Hartman, Celena Coven, James Hain and Lynn Smerechansky (pictured on the cover are Cirelli and Zamary).

Tickets are $15 ($10 for students and seniors). A reception will follow the opening night performance. For reservations, call 330-507-2358.

All proceeds from the Feb. 27 performance will benefit the Sean Timms Calvin Center Roof Fund. A “Raise The Roof” fundraising event, featuring local bands, food and dancing, will take place in the Calvin Center gymnasium after the “Dating Sucks” performance.