Harold Sanditen has apparently used his time well when he wakes up ’round midnight or later and cannot sleep.  In fact, he’s crafted an entire cabaret show out of his nocturnal difficulties, and he has no problem keeping an audience wide awake with great material and great performance skills.

Sanditen’s nighttime reveries included: regret (Bill Burnett/Peggy Sarlin ‘s“I Regret Everything”); suicide (Jay Leonhart’s “Look Down Off a Bridge,” which he sang standing on the lip of the stage); love (Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” a beautiful song sung sweetly and earnestly); missing someone (a powerful, heartfelt delivery on “Everything I Own,” by David Gates); and a spouse’s infidelity (“He Never Did That Before,” by Mark Campbell/Debra Barsha).

Sanditen has a forthright style — simple, straightforward, sincere  — with a nice, clear tone that’s free of vocal histrionics, and he sings without overdoing any of the emotions, big or small.

Entering through the audience singing “Something to Talk About” (Shirley Eikhard) and staying there through most of the song, Sanditen established an immediate rapport with the audience that never waned, right up till his closing number, when he returned to the audience to sing a nicely arranged “The Way You Look Tonight” (Kern/ Fields).

He also sang a self-mocking version of Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale,” which built in power as the song progressed, and a clever version of “Me and Mrs. Jones” (Kenneth Gamble/Leon Huff/Cary Gilbert) that showed the singer was an equal opportunity cheater by including “Mr. Jones” in his “affair,” cleverly bouncing back and forth in the lyrics between Mr. Jones and Mrs. Jones. The show also included a haunting reading of “’Round Midnight” (Cootie Williams/Thelonious Monk/Bernie Hanighen) and an amusing “A Boy Named Sue” (Shel Silverstein), sung with a faux British accent.

Sanditen got strong backing on piano from Musical Director Shelly Markham — who also provided vocal harmony on “I Saw the Light” (Todd Rundgren) — and on bass from Nate Light.  Both Markham and Light were effective during solos on “Somewhere” (Sondheim/Bernstein) and “We Can Work It Out” (McCartney/Lennon).

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
June 17, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org