Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Who doesn’t like a rom-com?: The flawed but immensely likable two-hander musical TWO STRANGERS arrives on Broadway

• By drediman
• November 21, 2025
• No Comments

Last night, the Broadway transfer of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) officially opened at the Longacre Theatre. Arriving on our shores on a wave of strong word of mouth from across the pond in London — where it captured the hearts of theatergoers — the musical represents one of the few new musicals currently scheduled to open this Broadway season (in terms of musicals, revivals seem to be at the moment the name of the game amongst producers and investors). Set in New York City, Two Strangers tells the story of the unlikely relationship between Dougal, a quirky young Brit visiting the city to attend his estranged father’s wedding, and the bride’s younger sister Robin, who is initially resistant to Dougal’s relentless and needy pursuit for companionship.

Two Strangers follows in the tradition of They’re Playing Our Song and The Last Five Years, requiring only two singing actors (and a small band, of course) to pull off the show. Also like those shows, the musical throws off strong romantic comedy vibes in its depiction of Dougal and Robin’s budding, cat-and-mouse relationship. For the most part, Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s charming score and book — which amount to more than the sum of their parts — are lovingly crafted and organically integrated, and in Dougal and Robin, they’ve created characters we can easily get behind and cheer on. And although the musical is far from perfect — the premise is largely implausible, character motivations are at times a bit murky, and the running time is too long for the slight material (the show could benefit from being trimmed down to a tidy 90 intermission-less minutes) — it’s nevertheless immensely likable, the kind of upbeat and hopeful escapist entertainment that many of us could use at the moment. In fact, the musical, which is also an unabashed love letter to New York, may just be the feel good show of the season.

With an adorable puppy dog demeanor and exuding the same kind of manic energy that catapulted James Corden into stardom, Tutty is a hugely charismatic ball of energy as Dougal. In a welcome contrast, Pitts gives a layered performance as the emotionally unavailable Robin, a character who has to navigate a troubled past, strained familial relationships, and an uncertain future. Both are outstanding singers who sing the heck out of Barne and Buchan’s pleasant contemporary musical theater score, which is brilliantly enhanced by Lux Pyramid’s expert orchestrations and Tony Cayle’s lucid sound design. Director Tim Jackson gives the production ample kinetic energy, ably filling the Longacre’s stage with Soutra Gilmour’s constantly revolving turntable set comprised of stacked suitcases that cleverly open up to shower us with all things New York.

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TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)
Broadway, Musical
Longacre Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (including one intermission)
Open run