Phoenix Best and Vincent Michael have signed on as standbys for the roles of Robin and Dougal in the Broadway premiere of “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).” The previously announced new musical, written and composed by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, will begin previews on Nov. 1 and open on Nov. 20 at the Longacre Theatre. Tim Jackson will direct and choreograph.
Best previously served as a swing on the 2025 revival of “The Color Purple” as well as an understudy for the role of Alana Beck in “Dear Evan Hansen,” a role she eventually assumed full-time. On tour, Best was seen in “Les Misérables.”
“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” will mark the Broadway debut of Michael, who was recently seen Off-Broadway in “Safety Not Guaranteed.” Michael’s regional credits include “Mystic Pizza” at Paper Mill Playhouse and “Rent” at the Muny.
The musical two-hander will star Christiani Pitts as Robin and Sam Tutty as Dougal. The characters meet when Robin is tasked with picking up Dougal from the airport for the impending nuptials of Robin’s sister and Dougal’s estranged father. The tuner follows their journey in navigating not only New York, but also second chances. Casting is by C12 Casting.
“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” received a world premiere mounting at the Kiln Theatre in London in November 2023, followed by a transfer to the West End’s Criterion Theatre in 2024 and then a transfer to American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2025, the latter which starred Pitts and Tutty.
“Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” is being produced by Kevin McCollum, Tim Johanson, Glass Half Full Productions and Jamie Wilson Productions.
