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 and the author of The Thespian’s Bucket List. She is also 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.
