Courtesy of Melany Perez

The Yale Artists Cabaret and Yale Pop-Up joined forces for an event on Friday night that was designed to wrangle the romantic side out of attendees.

On Feb. 17, lovers and lonely hearts alike waltzed into the “Crush…ed” event, a crossover that promised a night of romantic music and hors d’oeuvres. The two showings were held at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the Davenport Common Room.

“The arc of the show is 1) people falling in love, 2) heartbreak, and 3) reconciliation,” performer Sam Ahn told the News. “I’m a sucker for romance, so of course, I wanted to be a part of Crush…ed. The set list is composed mostly of musical theater songs, but there’s a pop song, too.” 

Crush…ed was the fourth ever production by the Yale Artist’s Cabaret Founded by Lauren Marut ’25 and Soleil Singh ’24, the Cabaret held its debut performance last March. 

Ahn explained that the theater collective is known for shows that require lower time commitments compared to other performance groups on campus, making the arts more accessible to non-theater majors and fostering connections across residential colleges. According to Ahn, the Yale Artist’s Cabaret carves a space for students who love to perform but don’t have time to take on all-encompassing performance arts.

At this arts symposium, music wasn’t the only attraction catching peoples’ eyes. While singers serenaded the audience, Y Pop-Up served them up a series of delicacies. 

“Collaborating with the cabaret was super fun and a great opportunity to come up with some theatrical valentines themed dishes,” said Grace Ellis ’25, Y Pop-Up baker. 

Guests at a total of 50 table settings were treated to a three-course meal of eggplant smoked melon paté tart, chicken roulade with pomme dauphine and chocolate buckwheat cake with tahini ice cream and sesame brittle. 

The menu and music selection were specially curated to bring the romance to the Davenport Common Room.

 “Since we’ve drawn songs from lots of different musicals, we have a really wide range of songs in the show,” said musical director Peter Sykes ’24. “It’s been super fun preparing such diverse music, the show really has something for everyone to enjoy.”

Natalie Brown ’25, who performed in Crush…ed, said that the setlist consisted of “songs about crushes, heartbreak and falling in love.”

“I’ve loved working on Crush…ed,” Brown said. “Every YAC show is so different, but I’m so grateful to have gotten to perform with them before and be back again, this time for a totally new performance and viewing experience…The other performers are all so incredibly talented, and the vibes of the room are immaculate. This has been such a fun and joyful process.” 

The Yale Artists Cabaret opened their second season with “Origin Story,” held on Oct. 28, 2022 in the Off Broadway Theater.eli