Susan Derry and Her Students at the National Capital Cabaret Festival

As part of the inaugural National Capital Cabaret Festival, cabaret veteran Susan Derry presented a showcase of DC-area talent that she coaches.

Derry opened the show with a version of “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” featuring open, legato verses contrasted with sprightly, jazz-inflected choruses and closed the show with a jaunty “You Fascinate Me So.” (Oh, how I love the lyrics of Carolyn Leigh!) In between she was a gracious, peppy emcee.

Here’s what people sang:

• Jillian Skara “Stupid With Love,” Mean Girls
• Olivia Levin “Times Like This,” Lucky Stiff
• Caroline Griswold Short “One Day,” Groundhog Day
• Makayla Fetterman “Fine, Fine Line,” Avenue Q
• Sarah Pollock “Summer In Ohio,” The Last Five Years
• Parker Chace, “It’s Been A While,” by Parker Chace
• Jane Petkofsky “He Vas My Boyfriend,” Young Frankenstein
• Kate McNamara-Marsland “I’m A Part Of That,” The Last Five Years
• Natalya Pedrouzo “Even Though,” I Love You Because
• Julia White “Take Me To The World,” Evening Primrose
• Care Ginsberg “All The Men In My Life,” Evil Dead The Musical
• Alice Squeglia “Young Kind Of Love,” by Joey Contreras

Music director Howard Breitbart supplied accompaniment tailored to each performer and performed one necessary rescue with grace and seamlessness.

Here’s my Cabaret Scenes review.