TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) Previews — Page 4

Jordan Catalano said: "I’ve been such an advocate for this show since first seeing it at the Kiln Theatre and seeing it tonight, I love it even more here than I did in London. And the reaction from the audience was actually palpable in a way that’s(at least to me, personally) hardly ever seen. I really hope this catches on and finds an audience because it’s just pure joy."

For those like yourself that love the show, can you help me understand why I should feel empathy towards the female character given that she is solely responsible for creating her situation?

Jordan Catalano said: "No. Who’s to say you have to? It’s art, you feel any way it makes you feel.

I asked because I'm trying to understand what I'm missing. It's a crucial plot point of the show. It would be helpful to get more than a "no, it's art" answer. Which is not an answer.

Jordan Catalano said: "So you want me to, what? Delve into the psyche of a fictional woman who (admittedly) made bad decision in her life and is struggling with that? I’m honestly not being snarky I’m confused what it is you want me to do for you."

You and others love the show. I did not, mainly because the show sets her up as a victim, but then turns out she is the victim of her own bad decisions. I think it destroys all the goodwill built up prior to the reveal, but others, including yourself still feel empathy for her. That is what I don't understand.

Just grabbed a ticket for this weekend using the TSBOX109 code - really looking forward to checking this one out. I thought I would get in before opening night reviews come out next week and potentially make this a harder to get and more expensive ticket.

ggersten said: "And I think audiences also can relate with being asked to take around a person they don't know and to entertain them for some period of time on behalf of a family member. And, Dougal is a bit of a handful!"

I think you make good points. But I'd also add: I think a lot of us can relate to Robin because we've made mistakes in our own lives, too.

I’ve been thinking about this for a bit. I really wanted to like it. I always try to champion new, original musicals.

But… this just isn’t it. I found it all so deeply annoying and twee. The characters are shrill and unlikable. The jokes are pedestrian. The score, other than the first song “New York,” feels like a bad copy of every other mediocre modern pop rock musical theater score. It reminded me of a bad Sundance film. It tries to be quirky and warm and funny and just ends up being cliched, overlong, and ultimately intolerable.


Heavy sigh.

kdogg36 said: "barcelona20 said: "You and others love the show. I did not, mainly because the show sets her up as a victim, but then turns out she is the victim of her own bad decisions. I think it destroys all the goodwill built up prior to the reveal, but others, including yourself still feel empathy for her. That is what I don't understand."

Building on what I just posted, have you not made a few bad decisions? I certainly have. I think the fact that she's suffering for some bad decisions is exactly what makes her a character worthy of empathy."

Everyone makes bad decisions in life, but sleeping with your sister's fiancé? Spare me the sympathy on that one lol.

Haven't seen it yet, and the London cast album doesn't give spoilers for this part of the plot. Does seem like a strange plot point. But really how is the fiance not held to more account? Come on, we all know guys - gay or straight - who pull out all the stops to just get it in. Playboy seducers. You have to have serious blinders to marry one of those guys because they will 100% be cheating on you today, tomorrow, & for the rest of their lives. If they've only hit you & quit you, you've probably got off lucky instead of investing more emotionally into them.

barcelona20 said: "
Building on what I just posted, have you not made a few bad decisions? I certainly have. I think the fact that she's suffering for some bad decisions is exactly what makes her a character worthy of empathy."

Everyone makes bad decisions in life, but sleeping with your sister's fiancé?Spare me the sympathy on that one lol."

SPOILERS I SUPPOSE...

I think the point of the piece is that people are flawed. It’s not a musical that asks us to judge which betrayals are greater, but rather one that explores how we all live within the consequences of others’ choices — and our own responses to them. If I’m remembering correctly from the London production, we actually learn very little about the specifics of the affair. Instead, we’re shown a woman forever in the shadow of her older sister, and a man forever in the shadow of an absent father — both, perhaps, victims of the same man's manipulation. Their shared arc is one of moving beyond that influence toward a sense of self-agency.

gibsons2 said: "Those who won the lottery for this, what seats were you given?"

I won the lottery for tonight's show, and my seats are row c left mezzanine. View from your seat shows a good view from so I think it'll be fine.

I checked on reddit and it seems like a lot of people got an assortment of orchestra seats, so I was a little bummed about it. One person got the "very last row in the balcony last week" and still called it a "phenomenal view". I can't do balcony (vertigo) but there you have it.

Sauja said: "I wanted to like this, but I struggled from the start to believe in either of these characters as actual flesh and blood people. The NY obsessed film geek who confuses NY with “Tinseltown” or the depressed yearner who lets herself become quickly charmed by him in spite of the deeply complicated circumstances. It felt twee and unrealistic but also not quite stylized enough for it to get a pass for being stylized. And listen, I am all for shows being two acts, but never has material more called out for an 80-minute intermission-free evening. I just wish that any of it felt true to me. Maybe I’m too cynical. But from nearly the moment it began, I felt myself at arms length from the material regardless of the two very strong performers doing their best to put it over."

funny -- walking out of this show tonight i literally said you'd have to be cynical to not have a smile for this show.

life is hard and stressful, and some shows are too complicated and heavy and some need to be .. I'm glad i had a place to go tonight that was fun and happy and sweet where the crowd was in it from the start and wanted to feel happy for two hours.

barcelona20 said: "kdogg36 said: "barcelona20 said: "You and others love the show. I did not, mainly because the show sets her up as a victim, but then turns out she is the victim of her own bad decisions. I think it destroys all the goodwill built up prior to the reveal, but others, including yourself still feel empathy for her. That is what I don't understand."

Building on what I just posted, have you not made a few bad decisions? I certainly have. I think the fact that she's suffering for some bad decisions is exactly what makes her a character worthy of empathy."

Everyone makes bad decisions in life, but sleeping with your sister's fiancé?Spare me the sympathy on that one lol."

Did you ever hear of a spoiler alert???????