64 Audition Songs for Contras – By Time Period
Below is a selection of musical theatre audition songs for contras, featuring a range of show styles and character types. The contra vocal range in musical theatre typically spans from E3 to E5. If you’re not sure if you are a contra, here’s where you can find out your vocal type.
Note: The terms contralto, contra tenor, and countertenor all refer to the same general vocal range. On Theatre Trip, this range is grouped under the gender-inclusive label “contras.”
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
“He Vas My Boyfriend” – Young Frankenstein
“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
“Whatever Lola Wants” – Damn Yankees
📖 Need more contra song ideas? The DIY Rep Book for Contras includes 250+ songs by era and style, with step-by-step guidance for creating a rep book that’s right for you!
Author: Stacy Karyn
Stacy Karyn is the founder of Theatre Trip, the author of The Thespian’s Bucket List➝, and the creator of The Cast Album List➝. Her background includes a BA in Theatre, a TESOL Drama certificate, and professional experience in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.
