Craig Pomranz: My Romance

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Craig Pomranz

My Romance

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, February 10, 2026

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Craig Pomranz

Crooner Craig Pomranz returned to Don’t Tell Mama with the newest edition of his show My Romance. It was an intriguing mix of songs that ranged from obscure Broadway tunes to pop standards, all delivered with his natural charm and warmth. His music director Michael Roberts was at the piano to supply fine support. Pomranz started with a low-key take on “Downtown” (Tony Hatch) that slowly built into a big showstopper, and he ended the show with a sensitive reading of “Turn, Turn, Turn” (Pete Seeger). Throughout he took the audience on a lovely journey.

Some of the joys of the show included a swinging arrangement of “Talk to Me Baby” (Johnny Mercer/Robert Dolan). It’s one of those surprisingly wonderful tunes from an obscure flop musical, Foxy, that allowed Pomranz to show his sense of humor as he played with such words as “prevaricate.” An intriguingly unknown song “Toys” (Eileen Barton/Bob Merrill) was merged with the cabaret standard “I Don’t Remember Christmas” (Richard Maltby, Jr./David Shire) to create a dramatic arc. He continued to show his skill with excellent lyrics on “It’s Only a Broken Heart” (Carol Hall).

There were surprises as well, such as his turning “The Book of Love” (Stephen Merritt) into a soulful ballad and “I Will” (Paul McCartney) into something lovely and charming. He gave “Better Than Anything” (Bill Loughborough/David “Buck” Wheat) some new lyrics that made the song self-reflective and site-specific. His whimsical encore was a medley of two Jule Styne numbers: “Make Someone Happy” (lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green) and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn). Pomranz certainly made everybody happy with this charming show.

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Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."