Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts in Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)
Matthew Murphy
Sometimes a piece of theater can take hold of you and never let you go.
That is what happened to producers Kevin McCollum and Tim Johanson when Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) entered their lives. The moment for both of them arrived years apart. It also hit them unexpectedly and with a feeling neither producer could shake. They each had that unmistakable feeling: this show had something.
In March 2018, Johanson attended the BEAM Showcase at Theatre Royal Stratford East in London, where the show’s writers Kit Buchan and Jim Barne were presenting a short excerpt of their new musical romantic comedy about taking risks and discovering your family against all odds. “This 20-minute showcase made me laugh a lot,” he says about the show. Among the five songs performed, one seized him immediately. “The song ‘New York really made me smile,” says Johanson. “And the hardest thing in musical theater is being able to make you laugh during a song.”
After the presentation, he met the writers at the bar. “We talked for three hours,” said Johanson. What struck him most wasn’t just the wit; it was the chemistry between the characters. There’s Dougal, a bouncy British man with the qualities of a golden retriever, who has nothing but time on his hands in New York City. The city has been in his dreams forever but he has never visited before. And there’s Robin, a guarded New Yorker with a mile-long to-do list, a dead-end job, and the dreams she placed in her rearview mirror. “There was this dynamic with chemistry, and an ability to tell a full story. Plus the musical has so much comedy,” he says. Even within twenty minutes, he could feel the show’s emotional architecture.
This past week the show about two mismatched strangers who go on an unexpected life-changing journey in New York City opened on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson, the two-person cast—Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen) and Christiani Pitts (A Bronx Tale, King Kong)—are so alive onstage they create a whole world and bring the city to life. The set from Soutra Gilmour, who also designed the costumes, is a marvel of innovation and surprise.
While both producers feel it’s better to let the show unfold before audiences rather than spell out the entire plot, McCollum describes the show as “a fish-out-of-water story about how we need each other to look at the gifts we have,” he says. “It’s about being in a cauldron of transformation, beauty, and frustration. And they embark on an adventure that could only happen in New York City.”
McCollum discovered Two Strangers years after Johanson did when the world was only just beginning to reopen after the pandemic. His friend, the producer Kenny Wax, who introduced McCollum to the shows Six and the Play That Goes Wrong, which they both brought to Broadway, suggested they see Two Strangers in London. McCollum didn’t know much about the production beyond that Wax was intrigued. “Kenny said, ‘I’m seeing this show and hear it’s good.’” They walked into the Kiln Theatre without expectations.
Sitting in the darkened theater, McCollum found himself thinking about how Two Strangers might work in New York. The feeling reminded him of an earlier experience, when he first encountered the musical that would become the Drowsy Chaperone.
“I don’t want to explain it. I just want people to see it,” says McCollum. “It’s the kind of show that once you experience it, you’re going to want to tell your friends.” He left the theater thinking about how the show could make hearts fuller and how perhaps people would be inspired to pick up the phone and call someone they hadn’t touched base with in a while.
After McCollum saw Two Strangers, he and Johanson crossed paths at an event later that same night. Johanson approached him. “‘I hear you have just seen my show,’” said Johanson. “It was a little bit of kismet,” adds McCollum.
Part of what grabbed both producers was the musical’s relationship with New York. McCollum, who has shepherded many New York–centric stories, including Rent, Avenue Q, and In the Heights, immediately sensed what made this one special. “Yes, it has two characters, but it is really about all of us, because this show is truly about New York City,” he says. “New York is not only an antagonist but also the protagonist. The city challenges the characters, but it also reveals them to themselves.”
Also, as they see it, Two Strangers is a salve during such a difficult time. The show is a reminder of the power of connection and what they love about the theater. “As humans we need each other to feel safe,” says McCollum. “We need to do activities where we gather and have a shared story rather than be attracted to a divisive conflict. And the gift of Broadway, of original musicals, is that it gets our dopamine and adrenaline going because we are not alone. And that is what makes our show sing.”
For both producers, Two Strangers reveals what they adore about the city. “What I love about New York is that it is built with an immigrant mentality. You can come from somewhere else and contribute, and your contribution matters,” says McCollum, who was born and raised in Hawaii. And Johanson, who spends his life between London and New York, adds, “I love that New York loves original new musicals. That is magic to me.”
The innovative set in Two Strangers
Matthew Murphy