64 of the Best Audition Songs for Contras
Are you getting ready for an important audition? Well, first you should check out our giant database of audition songs for specific musicals. But if your show hasn’t yet been covered by us, or if you’re just looking to expand your repertoire, you can go through this list of audition songs for contras (contraltos / countertenors / contra tenors).
* There is no difference between a “contralto” and a “contra tenor” in terms of vocal range. That’s why I’m proposing that we together coin a new gender-inclusive term of “contras”.
By the way, if your vocal range lies between E3-E5, you are a contra! If you haven’t gone through the steps to find your vocal type yet, I would definitely recommend doing so!
Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more details, please see our full disclosure.
First Step: Read your audition details
Please read your audition details carefully, as they sometimes specify what types of solos they’d like to hear (a ballad, something uptempo, etc.). Make sure to select a song that’s appropriate for your specific casting call.
And here’s Theatre Trip’s matching “Audition Songs for Contras” Spotify Playlist!
Quick Tip: For easy access to each song’s sheet music, backing tracks, music, time period, and vocal type info, just follow any of the links below!
Golden Age Songs for Contras (1940-1959)
“Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home” – St. Louis Woman
“I Never Know When” – Goldilocks
“Lazy Afternoon” – The Golden Apple
“Nobody’s Heart” – By Jupiter
“Small World” – Gypsy
“Some People” – Gypsy
“Tender Shepherd” – Peter Pan
“The Gentleman Is a Dope” – Allegro
Post-Golden Age Songs for Contras (1960s)
“A Parade in Town” – Anyone Can Whistle
“Before the Parade Passes By” – Hello, Dolly!
“Cabaret” – Cabaret
“I Don’t Want to Know” – Dear World
“So What?” – Cabaret
“The Sailor of My Dreams” – Dames at Sea
“Where Am I Going?” – Sweet Charity
“Why Do The Wrong People Travel?” – Sail Away
1970s Songs for Contras
“He’s Good For Me” – Seesaw
“I Still Believe in Love” – They’re Playing Our Song
“I’m Still Here” – Follies
“Magic to Do” – Pippin
“Meadowlark” – The Baker’s Wife
“Millwork” – Working
“Nothing” – A Chorus Line
“Those Magic Changes” – Grease
1980s Songs for Contras
“Like It Was” – Merrily We Roll Along
“Heaven Help My Heart” – Chess
“I Want to Go to Hollywood” – Grand Hotel
“Maybe” – Miss Saigon
“No Man Is Worth It” – Dance a Little Closer
“Someone Else’s Story” – Chess
“Tell Me It’s Not True” – Blood Brothers
“What You Need” – Grand Hotel
1990s Songs for Contras
“A Change in Me” – Beauty and the Beast
“Back to Before” – Ragtime
“Every Tear a Mother Cries” – Honk!
“King of the World” – Songs for a New World
“Let It Sing” – Violet
“Living in the Shadows” – Victor/Victoria
“The Music Still Plays On” – A New Brain
“Without You” – Rent
2000s Songs for Contras
“Big Love” – Memphis
“Come Down Now” – Passing Strange
“Here Within These Walls” – Sister Act
“Just Like That” – A Christmas Story
“I Dreamed a Dance” – Next to Normal
“Love and Love Alone” – The Visit
“My Body Wasn’t Why” – The Glorious Ones
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind” – A Tale of Two Cities
2010s Songs for Contras
“All I Need Is an Angel” – Grease Live!
“Brave Thing” – Fangirls
“Home Calls” – Next Thing You Know
“Live in Living Color” – Catch Me If You Can
“Playing Nancy” – Groundhog Day
“There Was John” – Tootsie
“Time Stood Still” – Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
“Whatever Time I Have” – Mrs Henderson Presents
Character/Comedic Songs for Contras
“Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
“Jeanette’s Showbiz Number” – The Full Monty
“Just Around the Corner” – The Addams Family
“Land of Yesterday” – Anastasia
“Nice” – It Shoulda Been You
“Sensitivity” – Once Upon a Mattress
“Sweet Child” – The Little Mermaid
“Whatever Lola Wants” – Damn Yankees
By the way… If you like this post, you might also like:
Know of any other great audition songs for contras?
And what role are you auditioning for next? We would love to hear all about it in the comments! In the meantime, you can check out our database of best audition songs for other musicals.
Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, author of The Thespian’s Bucket List, and creator of The Cast Album List. She holds a BA in theatre and a TESOL drama certificate, with experience working and interning in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.