Love is in the air at Susquehanna Stage. "What the World Needs Now Is ... Love, Love, Love" will be performed on Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. on the Gallery Stage, located at 133 W. Market St., Marietta.

The show is a cabaret with songs centered around the theme of love, said Amy Hoffman, one of the directors. "People can expect a variety of music," she explained. "We have 25 people in 20 performances, and they will all be singing about some type of love."

As Hoffman pointed out, "love" is a broad term that can apply to many situations. "There's romantic love. There's the journey of love, including moving on after a spouse dies, or there's family love," she stated. "We've also included songs about fighting because couples fight. There's the love that comes with friendship. We even have a hymn, so we have a song about religious love and God's love. ... It was important to us that the show is about more than just romantic love. The 2022 season for the theater is the 'Season of Love,' so this goes right along with that theme."

Hoffman said the performers chose the songs they wanted to perform, and she and co-director Jason Genise-Gdula paired up some of the singers to create interesting duets. She noted that Sharon Boyer will be accompanying the performers on piano for most of the show, with Genise-Gdula playing guitar for some of the numbers. Both directors will serve as masters of ceremonies for the performances and will be involved in the finale, which will include all of the performers.

A cabaret performance gives more people a chance to be a part of a show, said Hoffman, who has co-directed two other cabarets at the theater in the past. "A lot of people can't commit to being a part of a full show run because they are busy," she explained. "A cabaret gives people who love to perform the opportunity to perform in a less time-consuming way." She noted that the cast includes performers who have never been on stage before as well as someone coming out of retirement to participate. "We have someone who is 8 years old up through retirees in the cast," she stated.

The event is a fundraiser for the theater, and while the tickets are low cost, donations will be accepted at the cabaret.

"We just want people to be able to come out and celebrate love and celebrate life," Hoffman said. "This is about celebrating the love we have for life and for theater and for each other."

For more information on "What the World Needs Now Is ... Love, Love, Love" or to purchase tickets, visit https://susquehannastage.thundertix.com.