Review Roundup: TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) at A.R.T.

A.R.T.’s North American premiere of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is playing now at A.R.T.'s Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square, Cambridge.  
Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty star in the A.R.T. production of the West End hit Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). Phoenix Best and Vincent Michael are understudies.
 
A naïve and impossibly upbeat Brit, Dougal, has just landed in New York for his dad’s second wedding—the dad he’s never known. Robin, the sister of the bride, is at the airport to pick him up—and she’s late for work. Hungry for an adventure in the city he’s only seen in movies, Dougal hopes native New Yorker Robin will be his guide. Taking inspiration from traditional rom-coms, this new musical balances life’s sweetness and struggle as Dougal and Robin discover the meaningful impact on each of their lives a stranger can make.

Check out what the critics are saying about the new musical...

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Terry Byrne, Boston Globe: Two Strangers finishes with a big, heartwarming number, "I Believe" spoiler alert, there is snow leaning more into cliche than necessary. Like a Hallmark movie, Two Strangers boasts enough humor and whimsy to be sweet and superficially appealing, but at the end, all we're left with is the superficial.

Jacquinn Sinclair, Wbur: The narrative, though, has less to do with the cake mentioned in the show’s title than one might think. It’s more about self-discovery and being honest with oneself rather than falling head over heels in love. In “What’ll it Be,” Robin shares that she’s a bit lost in her barista existence. She used to have a joie de vivre that’s gotten lost in her constant survival mode. Dougal, on the other hand, is so over the moon to be in New York and meet his dad for the first time that he doesn’t take a beat to think about how odd it is that he hasn’t met him yet or that he wasn’t the one to retrieve him from the airport. Both characters have a lot to learn from each other, though this isn’t clear to them right away. And though Dougal and Robin’s encounter isn’t perfect, it’s a wonderfully funny, lovely musical where this audience member couldn’t help but root for the pair to be happy and to be true to themselves.

David Greenham, The Arts Fuse: Despite the material’s descent into slickness, the chemistry and individual performing strengths of Pitts and Tutty are unmistakable. He supplies an explosion of energy, but has the nuanced chops to be powerful during the quiet moments. She has the more difficult task because Robin is unhappy, embarrassed about her circumstances, and lacks direction in her life. Pitts makes you root for the character to succeed, find happiness, and finally to let go a little and live her life.'

R. Scott Reedy, BroadwayWorld: Under the gentle direction of Tim Jackson, Tutty imbues Dougal with heart-tugging charm that will have you crossing your fingers that things go his way, even as it becomes increasingly clear that his unseen father is likely to stay that way. His always good-humored demeanor makes Dougal irresistible. Pitts is terrific, too, as a hard-working barista uncertain about her future and uncomfortable at this important moment in her sister’s life, because of her own earlier actions. Together they capture that specific feeling that comes when you meet someone you just can’t look away from.

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