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!
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First Step: Read your audition details
Please read your audition details carefully, as they sometimes specify the type of song they’d like to hear (a ballad, something uptempo, etc.). Make sure to select a song that’s appropriate for your specific casting call. Also, as you’re picking out a song, these links may be helpful:
• Backing Tracks for the Songs Below
• “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)
“I Never Know When” – Goldilocks
“Lazy Afternoon” – The Golden Apple
“Lonely House” – Street Scene
“Nobody’s Heart” – By Jupiter
“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” – Guys and Dolls
“Some People” – Gypsy
“Tender Shepherd” – Peter Pan
“Wendy” – Peter Pan
Post-Golden Age Songs for Contras (1960s)
“A Parade in Town” – Anyone Can Whistle
“Cabaret” – Cabaret
“I Believe in You” – How to Succeed in Business
“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
“Lovers on Christmas Eve” – I Love My Wife
“Magic to Do” – Pippin
“Meadowlark” – The Baker’s Wife
“Millwork” – Working
“Save the People” – Godspell
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
“Someone Else’s Story” – Chess
“Tell Me It’s Not True” – Blood Brothers
“What You Need” – Grand Hotel
“With Every Breath I Take” – City of Angels
1990s Songs for Contras
“A Change in Me” – Beauty and the Beast
“Every Tear a Mother Cries” – Honk!
“Flying Home” – Songs for a New World
“King of the World” – Songs for a New World
“Living in the Shadows” – Victor/Victoria
“The Music Still Plays On” – A New Brain
“Wig in a Box” – Hedwig and the Angry Inch
“Without You” – Rent
2000s Songs for Contras
“Here Within These Walls” – Sister Act
“I’m Alive” – Next to Normal
“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
“Prayer of the Comfort Counselor” – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
2010s Songs for Contras
“All I Need is an Angel” – Grease Live!
“Come Back” – Dogfight
“I’m Not Falling for That” – We Aren’t Kids Anymore
“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
“When the Booth Goes Bright” – Amélie
Character/Comedic Songs for Contras
“Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
“I Really Like Him” – Man of La Mancha
“Just Around the Corner” – The Addams Family
“Mooning” – Grease
“My Conviction” – Hair
“Nice” – It Shoulda Been You
“Sensitivity” – Once Upon a Mattress
“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 has a TESOL drama certificate, a BA in theatre, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.