The American Songbook Association announces the 2025 recipients of the Pomranz Performance Grant, established and underwritten by ASA board president Craig Pomranz. Each recipient receives funds to help further their cabaret career, whether on stage or on a recording. This year’s recipients are:
Vicki Burns has been singing regularly in NYC since moving here in 2009. She has had success in shows at Birdland, The Iridium, The Green Room 42, Mezzrow, Zinc Bar, and many other fine venues. Her band members are among some of the choicest musicians in town. Currently she holds two monthly residencies at The Lexington Hotel and The Renaissance Midtown. In 2022 she released her critically acclaimed album Lotus Blossom Days featuring original music and new arrangements of both classic and rare jazz standards. It has had over a half a million streams on Spotify and currently has over 4,000 monthly listeners. It has been featured on over 100 radio stations worldwide and has had wonderful reviews in Jazz Times, Hot House, NYC Jazz Record, and many other publications. Most recently, Vicki Burns was nominated for the First Annual Barry Levitt Jazz Award presented by NiteLife Exchange and MAC. www.vickiburnsjazz.com
Susan Derry brings heart and artistry to every role—as a Broadway actor, a cabaret favorite, and a passionate teacher. Known for her “soaring soprano” and “striking theatricality” (The New York Times), she made her name as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera in Germany. Her Broadway debut came in the Tony-winning revival of Wonderful Town, and her portrayal of Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County earned her rave reviews on the D.C. theater scene. It’s as a cabaret artist that Susan truly shines; she brightens any venue with her signature mix of vulnerability and strength, charm and good humor. Her solo shows center on honest storytelling and songs that reflect life’s unexpected twists. Each is deeply personal—celebrating family in Wonderful You, exploring her Irish roots in Stranger Here Myself, or embracing reinvention in Ingenue You When (BroadwayWorld Best Debut Show nominee; Best Solo Performance in D.C.). Her holiday cabaret, I Wish It So, set attendance records and became her debut album. She aims for nights that are intimate and vulnerable, a little mischievous, and full of warmth. Currently, Susan is hard at work reinventing her reinvention cabaret Ingenue You When, Again, which will be the focus of a week-long workshop in Italy this summer with NYC’s Sounds of the City, and she’s excited to be crafting a new holiday evening for Virginia’s Creative Cauldron, debuting in December. Susan is also a passionate and dedicated educator. She serves on the voice faculty at American University in Washington, D.C., where she revels in sharing her knowledge, lifting up the next generation of artists, and spreading the joy to be found in the Great American Songbook. For more, please visit www.susanderry.com.
Justin Dylan Nastro is a cabaret performer, born and raised in New York. Through childhood and early adulthood Justin was involved in many musical theater productions. His first “real gig” was singing in a chorus behind the one-and-only Barbra Streisand in three of her Back to Brooklyn tour dates. Justin was a regular host and performer in The Cranky Cabaret, a top five finalist in Mamas Next BIG Act!, and made his solo cabaret debut at 54 Below in 2018. He has gone on to perform several solo shows at Chelsea Table + Stage and Don’t Tell Mama. His latest show, The Magic of Me!, helped him secure a MAC Award Nomination, and win for Male Vocalist 2024. Justin is a proud Board Member of Singnasium, an organization that is keeping the arts alive by helping vocal artists thrive.
Mary Stanford is a versatile singer who is equally at home serenading audiences with jazz standards, belting out show tunes, or engaging in soprano vocal acrobatics. Her passion for the American Songbook shines through in her charmingly “retro” performances of beloved songs and forgotten gems. One of her proudest moments was performing “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins at Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic at the request of its composer, the late Richard Sherman. Other ongoing creative collaborations include her joyful cabaret performances with musical director Bob Remstein, and big band performances with Dean Mora’s Orchestra. Behind the scenes, Mary is a multi-talented writer, director, dramaturg, theater/film historian, costumer, and photographer. During the 2020 pandemic, she created and broadcast a live solo Quarantine Cabaret series from her living room that brought together viewers around the world and raised funds for charities. More at maryjstanford.com.
