Harold Sanditen: Flyin’ High
Harold Sanditen
Flyin’ High
Rockwell Table & Stage, Los Angeles, CA, April 14, 2015
Reviewed by Les Traub for Cabaret Scenes
Harold Sanditen could have taken the easy approach in his show about travel by stringing together the usual assortment of travel songs. Instead, he went the extra mile, so to speak, to come up with an imaginative song list that deftly wove his own story into the mix of expected and unexpected material.
His opener, an expected “Come Fly with Me,” which ended up swinging, began with an unexpected slow, sensual treatment, which conveyed the message that this was going to be an intimate journey. His home state of Oklahoma was saluted, not with the expected Rodgers & Hammerstein song of the same name, but the Martin/Blane/Edens “Pass that Peace Pipe” in honor of the original settlers, Native Americans.
Sanditen’s pleasing voice floated delightfully within music director Michael Roulston’s clever arrangements. Particularly effective were a light-touch version of Goffin/King’s “Up on the Roof” and a rhythmically interesting “I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning.” His personal stories gave a new dimension to familiar songs and served to demonstrate clearly why he chose them.
Bass player Jonty Fisher joined Roulston in accompaniment and an added treat were guest appearances by Shelly Goldstein and Linda Purl, each with a solo number and a duet with Sanditen.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Cabaret Reviews, Regional
