Two strangers carry a budding romance, and a cake, across New York
The musical, by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, makes the most of Tutty's irresistible charm as the naïve fish-out-of-water, in contrast to Pitts's jaded Robin. Tutty and Pitts have terrific chemistry, and Tutty absolutely delivers on Robin's description of Dougal as 'a Golden Retriever with less boundaries.' His opening number, 'New York,' perfectly captures Dougal's childlike excitement about his 48-hour adventure in a city he expects to be defined by the cherished movies he's seen (including 'Taxi Driver,' 'Midnight Cowboy,' and 'Big').
Advertisement
Despite her eye rolls, it's clear Robin finds his comically dorky impersonations more endearing than she'd like to admit. Tutty has impressive vocal chops and dance moves, both of which feel wild and free — when he lets them explode — even though we know they were precisely rehearsed and choreographed.
Advertisement
Pitts's character is explored in 'What'll It Be,' a heartfelt ballad set in the Bump and Grind, the coffee shop where Robin works, as she wonders what will be next for her. Pitts, too, is a stunning singer and actor, giving the audience a haunting tour of her childhood neighborhood in 'This Is the Place' with all the love and regret that can entail.
Tutty and Pitts in "Two Strangers."
Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall
Director and choreographer Tim Jackson moves his two performers effortlessly up, down, and around Soutra Gilmour's
inventive baggage claim area set. Gilmour's piles of suitcases turn to provide different scenes, even as an outer turntable allows the actors to cover a lot of ground — a visit to the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, a sumptuous Plaza hotel room, an Uber ride and a coffee shop, and even a Chinese restaurant.
Gilmour's collection of seemingly nondescript luggage also provides a delightfully surprising array of closets and cabinets as needed. Every inch of the space is employed in a climactic booze-fueled spree through New York, courtesy of Dougal's estranged father's credit card. Despite the limitations of creating dance routines that can be safely executed on a narrow, moving turntable, the couple's fearless energy, whipped up lighting, and spot-on timing (watch for the appearance of his tux jacket)
are perfectly combined.
Barne and Buchan's musical numbers are pleasantly, sometimes humorously derivative, with a special nod to Stephen Sondheim's patter songs in 'The Hangover Duet.' Jeffrey Campos leads the crisp five-piece band (keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and percussion).
Advertisement
The magical moments emerge from the clever and funny banter between Dougal and Robin, which reveals more about their characters than the exposition-heavy phone calls and letters that slow the action down. This is perfectly summed up by a subplot in which Dougal helps Robin find a match on a dating app. His sweet understanding of what she's looking for could have been more deeply explored.
'Two Strangers' finishes with a big, heartwarming number, 'If I Believed' — spoiler alert, there is snow — leaning more into cliché 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.
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)
Musical by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. Directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson. Music direction by Jeffrey Campos. A Kiln Theatre production, produced by the American Repertory Theater. Loeb Drama Center, Brattle Street, Cambridge, through July 13. Tickets from $35. 617-547-8300,
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Video: Golden Retriever Won't Let Owner Have ‘Peaceful Morning'
For people who dream of quiet mornings and slow wake-ups, living with a dog can be a harsh reality check. This is especially evident if that dog is a 70-pound fluffball with no concept of personal boundaries or patience. One Golden Retriever's very hands-on approach to waking up his owner in a morning video has gone viral for being as annoying as it is adorable. Bodie has no concept of 'five more minutes.' In a morning video uploaded by his owner, Sophie, the Golden Retriever is seen in bed with her, doing everything in his power to make sure she's awake. The text overlay reads: 'waking up with a golden retriever,' setting the tone for what unfolds next. Despite Sophie clearly wanting to sleep a little longer, Bodie has other plans. He presses his head against hers, leans his full weight onto her body, and keeps nudging her persistently. Even when she tries to gently push him away, he responds with playful nibbles on her hand, turning the moment into a funny, if not slightly chaotic, game of resistance. The interaction goes on for a while before Bodie finally gives in (sort of) and snuggles beside her, clearly satisfied that his mission is complete. In the caption of the morning video, the Golden Retriever's owner jokes, 'Is a peaceful morning too much to ask for?' The internet wasted no time jumping into the comments with full support for Sophie. One user joked, 'He's like 'if I'm up, you should be too!'' Another wrote, 'Brodie [sic] let momma sleep my boy,' showing sympathy for Sophie's struggle. Others affectionately dubbed Bodie the 'Golden Retriever Alarm Clock,' a nickname that feels perfectly fitting. Living with a dog means giving up a bit of personal space, and sometimes a peaceful morning. But for most, it's a trade-off worth making. The post Video: Golden Retriever Won't Let Owner Have 'Peaceful Morning' appeared first on DogTime.
Digital Trends
2 days ago
- Digital Trends
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (June 20-22)
In addition to being a central hub for many people's shopping, Amazon also has a pretty impressive library of streaming titles. If you're looking for something to watch, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices available. If you're looking for a way to hone in on what you'd actually like to watch, we've got you covered. We've pulled together three great, underrated movies that are all available on Prime Video and are all well worth your time: Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+. I Like Movies (2022) If you think you're the cinephile in your friend group, then I Like Movies was made for you. The film tells the story of a socially awkward teenager who takes a job at a video store in the mid-2000s and develops a complicated relationship with his older female supervisor. Funny and heartfelt in a way that only indies can seem to get away with, I Like Movies is both an earnest ode to loving movies and a reminder of how intense our feelings can be when we're 17. I Like Movies is shaggy, funny, and features a cast of actors you probably won't recognize. You can watch I Like Movies on Amazon Prime Video. Midnight Cowboy (1969) More than 50 years later, Midnight Cowboy still feels as transgressive as it did when it was first released in 1969. The movie follows a young man from a small town who moves to New York City, convinced that he'll attach himself to a wealthy woman who can keep him in comfort. Instead, he finds himself in poverty and lives in a rundown, abandoned apartment with hustler Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo. As the two begin working together to earn cash, they form a friendship that becomes their only lifeline as they struggle to make ends meet in a city less hospitable than either of them anticipated. You can watch Midnight Cowboy on Amazon Prime Video. Ford v Ferrari (2019) There aren't a ton of great racing movies, but Ford v Ferrari is one of the very best. The film tells the true story of the men that Ford brought in in an attempt to compete with Ferrari at the 24-hour race at Le Mans. In chronicling the many challenges that come with trying to build something in collaboration with corporate overlords, the film also has interesting resonances with what it's like to work in Hollywood. Anchored by great movie star work from Christian Bale and Matt Damon, Ford v. Ferrari is sturdy and functional in ways that few modern movies of any size manage to be. You can watch Ford v. Ferrari on Amazon Prime Video.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Puppy Sleeps Through Noise & Chaos in Viral Instagram Video
In a now-viral Instagram video, a Golden Retriever puppy managed to sleep through the hustle and bustle around him. Archie the Golden Retriever puppy's owner found him sleeping soundly with his limbs stretched out, capturing the adorable moment on camera. Moreover, the gym equipment lying around him added a hilarious false pretext for netizens, with many joking that his deep slumber might have come from all the exercise. A hilarious viral video captured Archie, the Golden Retriever puppy, sleeping like a baby amidst noise and chaos. The humorous element comes to life when the camera pans to the noisy carpentry in the backdrop. While the room fills up with noise, it does not budge the pup. He continues sleeping on the exercise mat with no care in the world. The short clip begins with a shot of Archie sleeping on the mat. With his limbs stretched out and a slight smile on his face, he slept without any care. The camera then zooms out to reveal the exercising equipment all around the puppy. While everything seems normal, the camera slowly reveals the bigger picture. The video captures a man plugging in a drilling machine. Once he does so, he rests on what appears to be newly made furniture, while another individual uses the device. The noise of the drilling machine fills the room. However, despite the noise, the puppy does not budge. The Golden Retriever does flinch at the sudden chaos, but he doesn't let it disturb his peaceful sleep. Looking like he is tired from exercising, Archie does not let the noise bother him. The puppy's deep sleep resonated with a wide audience, who took to the comments to let their admiration for the canine be known. A user remarked, 'He is like such a cute, fluffy stuffy,' while another joked, 'He looks like a little lamb.' Another commentator advised, 'Open a bag of chips, that'll wake him,' and the owner agreed, replying, 'It would wake him up instantly.' The video serves as a reminder of the little joys that puppies bring into people's lives, even when they are simply sleeping. The post Puppy Sleeps Through Noise & Chaos in Viral Instagram Video appeared first on DogTime.
