Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Tony Nominees Talk Vulnerability, Comedy and Chemistry on Broadway

We’re highlighting the 2026 musical Tony nominees this week on The Broadway Show! Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek and Managing Editor Beth Stevens got acquainted with Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), which has eight total nominations, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. The modern musical rom-com features a book, music and lyrics by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan and is directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson. First-time Tony nominees Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty portray the grumpy/sunshine pairing, bringing heart to the two-hander.

From the start, Jackson knew he needed actors who could reveal both the playful and deeply vulnerable sides of each character. Of Pitts and Tutty, he says, "They're so talented, and I think what people will underestimate is how in-depth they've gone on their characters and how many different things they have to knock down to make it all land in the beautiful way that it does."

Pitts recognizes that her character, Robin, isn't the one who gets to be over-the-top. “She is so vulnerable, and she’s in such a gray space in her life that—transparently—I was nervous that audiences weren’t going to go on that journey with her,” she says. “So to know that it has resonated enough to be acknowledged in this way is very rewarding.”

Watch the video below to hear more from Jackson, Pitts, Tutty, Barne and Buchan ahead of the ceremony on June 7:

Get tickets to Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)!