Following extended hit runs in Boston, London’s West End, and on Broadway, the “fresh, funny, inventive and moving” (The Observer) original musical comedy Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) will launch a North American Tour in the fall of 2027.
The tour will premiere at Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, before continuing onto cities across the U.S. and Canada. Additional tour stops and casting will be announced at a later date.
“It’s been thrilling to see audiences connect and fall in love with Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York),” says producer Kevin McCollum. “With a funny, original and uplifting story, soaring songs, theatrical stage magic, and knockout performances, it’s truly what Broadway does best. This original musical taps into a universal truth and shows that at times the most random meetings can create family against all odds. It isn’t just a story about two strangers, it is a story about all of us who long for connection. We can’t wait for theatergoers across the country to come to the show as strangers and leave as friends.”
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) received eight 2026 Tony Award® nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical (Jim Barne & Kit Buchan), Best Original Score (Jim Barne & Kit Buchan), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Soutra Gilmour), Best Direction of a Musical (Tim Jackson), and Best Orchestrations (Lux Pyramid), as well as nominations for the two stars Sam Tutty (Best Leading Actor in a Musical) and Christiani Pitts (Best Leading Actress in a Musical). The show was included on Best Theater of the Year lists from USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Mashable, Deadline, Out Magazine, TheaterMania, New York Theatre Guide, among others, and named a New York Times Critic’s Pick.
Written and composed by two-time 2026 Tony Award nominees Jim Barne and Kit Buchan and directed and choreographed by 2026 Tony Award nominee Tim Jackson (Merrily We Roll Along), the musical opened at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre on November 20, 2025, where it continues to play garnering widespread critical acclaim. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) follows Dougal, an endlessly optimistic Brit visiting New York City for the wedding of the father he’s never met, and Robin, the bride’s sharp, no-nonsense sister. As they journey across the city, their differing perspectives give way to something unexpected. Bursting with laughter, escapism, and charm, this original musical is both a love letter to New York and a celebration of the joy in human connection.
The creative team includes Associate Director and Choreographer Asmeret Ghebremichael, Scenic and Costume Design by 2026 Tony Award nominee Soutra Gilmour (Sunset Boulevard, & Juliet), Lighting Design by Tony Award winner Jack Knowles (Sunset Boulevard), Sound Design by Olivier Award winner Tony Gayle (My Neighbour Totoro), Orchestrations by 2026 Tony Award nominee Lux Pyramid (collaborations with Suki Waterhouse, Rita Ora, and more), Music Supervision by Nick Finlow (Back to the Future, The Book of Mormon), Music Direction by Ted Arthur (Back to the Future, The Prom), and Casting by C12 Casting (Gutenberg, & Juliet).
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) first charmed London audiences with a sold-out run in November 2023, produced by the Kiln Theatre, before transferring to the West End’s Criterion Theatre for an extended engagement from April 4 to August 31, 2024. The North American premiere was at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University from May 20 to July 13, 2025. The musical was first produced by the Royal & Derngate Northampton and New Wolsey Ipswich when it was called The Season. It was developed through the Stiles and Drewe MTI Mentorship Award. Excerpts from an earlier version were presented at BEAM2018, supported by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network.
The musical is produced on Broadway by Kevin McCollum, Tim Johanson, Glass Half Full Productions, and Jamie Wilson Productions. They are joined by producers Clemmie Forfar, Oliver Mackwood, Lucas McMahon, Evan McGill, Dennis Trunfio, Abrams Corr Riemer Productions, Marc David Levine & Stephen S. Miller, Laura Lonergan, James L. Nederlander, Michael Patrick & Paul Gavriani, Merrie L. Davis, Tony Spinosa & Barbara Gallay, Walport Productions, Agrawal & PBT, JKDNV Productions, Aleff & Nothing Ventured, Flatto Turchin, Pam & Stephen Della Pietra, Nicole Eisenberg, Willette & Manny Klausner, Liddell Shilaimon, John Voege, Cecilia Lin, Wanyue Jie, Kevin Shen, We Believe, The Transatlantic Alliance, IPN, Oki Wallace-Phoebe, Victoria Weinberg, and Laurie Tisch & Greg Field.
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