There’s something innately comforting about romantic comedies – maybe it’s the happy endings, or the familiarity of the well-worn path used to get to them. You generally know what you’re going to get.
And yet “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” having its U.S. premiere at the American Repertory Theater through July 13, keeps things surprisingly fresh, with a unique story and solid musical numbers.
Dougal (Sam Tutty), an impossibly upbeat Brit who’s enthused by just about anything, has just landed in New York for his father’s wedding when he meets Robin (Christiani Pitts), the bride’s younger sister, who has been sent to the airport to shepherd him to his hotel. Dougal, who has never met his father, is thrilled to be in the city he’s seen only in movies, which jaded and native New Yorker Robin has little time for.
And we’re off. “Two Strangers,” coming to the A.R.T. after a successful run on London’s West End, follows a classic rom-com trope: Man and woman meet, man and/or woman doesn’t like the other, man and woman ultimately stop fighting it and give in to their attraction. It’s a well-worn formula (see also “When Harry Met Sally,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and so on), but the depth of these characters’ backstories, which emerge gradually, is beneficial to its success, as is the fact that Dougal and Robin are the only two characters on stage.
Though there are frequent references to others, such as Dougal’s father and Robin’s sister, Tutty and Pitts are alone for the entirety of the musical. That’s not something you see often, and here it works to create a depth of intimacy and emotion between characters.
Written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, the musical is in part inspired by Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy of films – “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight,” starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy – and that influence shows. “Before Sunrise,” in which two strangers meet on a train and spend a night wandering Vienna, is driven by chemistry and conversation, and so too is “Two Strangers.”
Occasionally things feel heavy-handed and Dougal’s character can become a bit tiresome, but Tutty and Pitts have a palpable, magnetic chemistry that guides the show with gusto. Their individual singing and acting chops are so strong that when they’re together, something truly special happens. Robin’s “What’ll It Be” is a standout, and “On the App” is particularly fun.
The show is well-paced, with plenty of comedic moments and a dynamic set that moves with the narrative. Soutra Gilmour’s innovative baggage claim-inspired set made up of suitcases of varying sizes, which get rearranged to evoke different settings, includes an outer turntable that Tutty and Pitts walk on as they make their way through the city.
“Two Strangers” isn’t reinventing the wheel, and it has its overly clichéd moments, but overall its a fun, feel-good romp. If you’re looking for a sweet, funny musical with songs that will stick in your head and characters you can’t help but root for, you’ll find it.
“Two Strangers” through June 29 at the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Theatre, 64 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $43 to $158, with discounts available to students and ticket-buyers under the age of 25, seniors, EBT card holders, Blue Star families, Harvard faculty and staff and others.
Feature image by Joel Zayac.
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