4.5 out of 5 stars

Forget “The Last Five Years.” Instead, consider “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” which focuses on the first (and maybe the final) 48 hours of a relationship. The comparison between Jason Robert Brown’s “Five Years,” seen last season on Broadway, and Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s carrying-a-cake tale is only apt in that both are two-character musicals. But “Strangers” is sunnier and thoroughly more beguiling – a work that’s equal parts ode to the Big Apple and romantic fantasy. It’s even more captivating thanks to Christiani Pitts and Sam Tutty’s sweetly powerful performances – they make the fantasy a reality. — Charles Passy

At the Longacre Theatre; twostrangersmusical.com. (Review date: Nov. 20, 2025)