Cabaret Scenes by Elliot Zwiebach
July 17, 2009, The Gardenia Restaurant & Lounge Hollywood, CA
Craig Pomranz kind of sneaks up on an audience…
He's telling you stories in song - - caressing the lyrics ever-so-gently - - and before you know it, he's moved to a booming tenor that brings the song to a strong, powerful, satisfying climax. And then he does it again, and again - - and very effectively each time.
In his new show about love in all its varying aspects Pomranz wove a delicate new web with each song, and his audience seemed to go along with him willingly because he made the songs - - even the standards - so engrossing and the journey so pleasant.
Pomranz relied primarily on ballads, including a poignant "When I Fall In Love" (Edward Heyman/Victor Young); a slow, sensual "You Go To My Head" (Haven Gillespie/J. Fred Coots); a thoughtful lullabye-like "My Blue Heaven" (Walter Donaldson/George Whiting); a tender "My Eyes Adored you" (Bob Crewe/Kenny Nolan); and "I Never Meant To Hurt you," a more contemporary song (by Laura Nyro) that reflects all the pain and hurt feelings at the end of a relationship - each of them evolving from a sweet, gentle beginning to a fill-voiced, powerful conclusion in its own unique way.
Pomranz also scored on more up-tempo numbers like "Make Someone Happy" (Comden & Green and Jule Styne) and "I Love Being Here With You" (Peggy Lee/William Schluger); and a medley that acknowledged the local geography - - "Hollywood Party" (Rodgers $& Hart) with "Hooray For Hollywood" (Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer).
In an amusing change of pace Pomranz also sang Murray Grand's "Doris Was Nice," about a man who loves a gorilla, (who was, nevertheless, nice): plus a jazz-tinged medley that reached across the decades to pair "You Make Me Feel So Young" (Mack Gordon/Josef Myrow) with Paul McCartney's "When I'm 64," with accompanist Steve Bocchino singing sweet harmony on the latter and providing sure-handed support throughout.
Pomranz closed the show with the wistful, heartbreaking "Some Other Time" (Comden & Green/Leonard Bernstein), then returned to encore with "When Do The Words Come True?" (John Meyer) - a question no one has to ask when Pomranz performs because he makes sure all the words and emotions he wants to convey come true.