Correspondent photo / Nancilynn Gatta Joe Conversino of Youngstown performs his parents’ favorite song “You Belong to Me” during the second annual Senior Showcase at the Robins Theatre in Warren on Saturday. The showcase drew more than 900 people to the theater, where they were treated to poetry, dancing, singing, music playing and other talents. Conversino returned to the area from Los Angeles six years ago.

WARREN — The show business phrase, “The show must go on,” was an appropriate statement Saturday afternoon at the Robins Theatre as Mother Nature dumped 3 inches of snow overnight before the second annual Senior Showcase talent show.

Masters of ceremonies for the show were WYTV-33 Daybreak co-hosts Len Rome and Jim Loboy.

“I want to thank everyone for making it out here to the show. I’m sorry about the snow,” said Loboy, who is also a meteorologist.

The Senior Showcase, presented by SCOPE, was created by Jen Dagati in 2023 to highligh the artistic talents of adults 55 and older. Dagati, president of the showcase, works with seniors as a fitness and dance instructor.

Through her work, she realized that seniors have many talents and they can still entertain people. She thought the annual show could bring awareness of their artistic abilities.

Poetry readers, dancers, singers, musicians, ventriloquists and comedians performed during the two acts.

Vivian Box of Warren, 97, was the oldest performer to take part in Saturday’s show. She danced to her favorite showtune, “Singin’ in the Rain,” a duet dance with Dagati. This was a return to the Robins Theatre stage for Box, who performed there when she was 14.

Former Niles firefighter and a member of the disbanded Stephen Foster Chorus, 85-year-old Paul Hogan sang “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “5’2.” His wife, Sandra, was sitting in the first row of the audience as he directed the lyrics, “5’2, eyes of blue,” to her because, as he explained after the event, “She has blue eyes and is that height.”

Hogan’s number was accompanied by dancers. Senior Showcase dancers performed in numerous selections, including “One Night at the Disco,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” “Monster Mash” and “CopaCabana.”

Niles SCOPE dancers performed to the song “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

Among the numerous musical acts was ventriloquist Levi Elzy singing the spiritual, “Any Way You Bless Me,” who also was accompanied by a choir. Deb’orah Benton sang a melody of Dionne Warwick songs. She is the only Dionne Warwick tribute artist in the country.

Sandra Miles, Rozz Chapman, Sandi Love and Cat Smith gave a performance of the Maya Angelou poem, “Phenomenal Woman.”

The vision statement of the showcase is to have a community where senior life experiences and talents are celebrated. Based on the reaction of the more than 900 audience members, that goal was met during this performance.

“I went to last year’s show,” said Dee Booth of Cortland. “I was amazed by the performances. I enjoyed it so much, I came again this year.”

“My wife, Gloria, went to last year’s show and I came this year. Our neighbor is Sandra Miles and a good friend of my wife’s,” said David Blackmon of Austintown. Miles is vice president of the Senior Showcase Board of Directors and sang “More than Anything.”

Bill Shimshuck from Adamsville, Pa., traveled nearly an hour to see his friend, Jerry Mason of Warren, sing as Frankenstein during “Monster Mash.”

“They ran out of programs, so I took a photo of it so I would know which songs she would be performing in the show,” said Anthony Tabac of Austintown, a senior at Ursuline High School. He came to the show to see his preschool and kindergarten Montessori teacher, Rosemary Finley, dance in the showcase.

Loboy and Rome were always available with an ad-lib to cover any delays. Loboy joined in for a few moves during “One Night at the Disco.” Earlier, Rome introduced the act and recalled dancing at the former VIP lounge in Niles in the late 1970s.

Though it took a little more effort for audiences to arrive at the theater because of the inclement weather, from all the smiles on their faces as they left the show it was worth their time cleaning off their cars and searching for parking.

The third Senior Showcase will be in January 2026.