The Best Audition Songs for Cry-Baby – by Character
Do you have an upcoming audition for Cry-Baby? Well unless you have specifically been asked to sing a song from the show that you’re auditioning for, it’s generally best not to. That said, you should still show off similar vocals and personality. So here’s our list of audition songs for Cry-Baby, broken down by character.
Since Cry-Baby is set in the 1950s, the following songs are from musicals set in the 1950s/1960s as well. In addition the songs below come from shows that came out between 1970-present day in order to match the style of the show.
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Step 1: 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.
Step 2: Get to know the show
In casting calls, they often ask for you to be “familiar with the show”. And even if it’s not requested, it’s generally assumed. One way to do this is to listen to the Cry-Baby cast album➝ while reading through the synopsis.
Step 3: Pick an audition song
Next, based on your personality and vocal type, decide whether you’d like to audition for the ensemble or a specific character. Just keep in mind that if you audition for a specific character, you still might not be chosen for that particular role.
There’s usually a spot on the audition form asking if you are open to being in the ensemble or accepting a different role. I would suggest ticking that box and taking whatever you are offered. Every role is important, and you will earn valuable experience in a show.
And on that same note, even if you audition for the ensemble (and not a specific character), there’s always a chance you might get chosen for a leading/supporting role!
To summarize, keep an open mind and try not to take the process too seriously. And when you’re ready, choose the song that you feel most comfortable with from the list below.
Allison Vernon-Williams
“All I Need Is an Angel” – Grease Live!
“Fools Fall in Love” – All Shook Up
“Hopelessly Devoted to You” – Grease
“Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee (Reprise)” – Grease
Baldwin Blandish
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” – Jersey Boys
“Fallen Angel” – Jersey Boys
“Rhythm of the Rain” – The Cascades [1960s/non-theatre]
“Those Magic Changes” – Grease
Dupree W. Dupree
“Greased Lightnin’” – Grease
“Jailhouse Rock” – All Shook Up
“Pills” – Bo Diddley [1950s/non-theatre]
“Serve Yourself” – Pump Boys and Dinettes
Lenora Frigid
“Easy to Say” – Zombie Prom
“Freddy My Love” – Grease
“It’s Raining on Prom Night” – Grease
“One Night With You” – All Shook Up
Mrs. Cordelia Vernon-Williams
“I Wrote the Book” – Woman of the Year
“It’s a Business” – Curtains
“Rookie in the Ring” – My Favorite Year
“Teaching Third Grade” – Ruthless!
Wade ‘Cry-Baby’ Walker
“Alone at the Drive-In Movie” – Grease
“How Can I Say Goodbye?” – Zombie Prom
“Maybe (Baby)” – Grease Live!
“Sandy” – Grease
Ensemble (Altos)
“Be Anything” – Connie Francis [1950s/non-theatre]
“Funny” – My Favorite Year
“There Are Worse Things I Could Do” – Grease
Ensemble (Baritones)
“Beauty School Dropout” – Grease
“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” – Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
“Lucille” – Jerry Lee Lewis [1950s/non-theatre]
Ensemble (Basses)
“Don’t Be Cruel” – All Shook Up
“Heartbeat” – Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
“True Love Ways” – Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
Ensemble (Contras)
“Mooning” – Grease
“Music of My Soul” – Memphis
“Radio” – Memphis
Psst… Here’s where you can find out your vocal type!
Ensemble (Mezzos/Sopranos)
“Ain’t Nothin’ But a Kiss” – Memphis
“Someday” – Memphis
“There’s Always Me” – All Shook Up
Ensemble (Tenors)
“Big Love” – Memphis
“I Don’t Want To” – All Shook Up
“It Hurts Me” – All Shook Up
Step 4: Select a monologue
If requested, here are a few audition monologues for Cry-Baby:
• “Album” in Solo!: The Best Monologues of the 80s – Women➝
• “Green Pepper➝” from Cocktails at Pam’s (Estelle)
• “Harvey and I➝” from Harvey➝ (Elwood)
• “Johnny Talks Kids➝” from Frankie and Johnny… (Johnny)
• “Well Done, Junior Disaster Committee!➝” from Cry-Baby (Baldwin)
Final Step: Prepare for your audition
After collecting your materials and getting familiar with the show, it’s time to move forward with the actual preparation. If you’re in need of some guidance on this step, you can always go through this FREE audition prep checklist!
Want more songs? Check out these DIY Rep Books for EVERY vocal type!
Cry-Baby Song List
Here’s a list of the musical numbers in Cry-Baby, along with which characters sing in each of them. Unless you have been asked to, do not choose from the below songs for your audition! The following is more intended to be used for character research purposes.
Act 1:
“The Anti-Polio Picnic” – Mrs. Vernon-Williams, Allison, Baldwin, Ensemble
“Watch Your Ass” – Pepper, Wanda, Hatchet-Face, Dupree, Cry-Baby, Ensemble
“I’m Infected” – Allison, Cry-Baby, Ensemble
“Squeaky Clean” – Baldwin, Allison, Ensemble
“Nobody Gets Me” – Cry-Baby, Pepper, Wanda, Hatchet-Face, Ensemble
“Nobody Gets Me (Reprise)” – Allison
“Jukebox Jamboree” – Dupree
“A Whole Lot Worse” – Pepper, Wanda, Hatchet-Face
“Screw Loose” – Lenora
“Baby Baby Baby Baby Baby (Baby Baby)” – Cry-Baby, Allison, Ensemble
“Girl, Can I Kiss You With Tongue?” – Cry-Baby, Allison, Ensemble
“I’m Infected (Reprise)” – Allison
“You Can’t Beat the System” – Company
Act 2:
“Misery, Agony, Helplessness…” – Allison, Cry-Baby, Dupree, Pepper, Wanda, Hatchet-Face, Ensemble
“Misery, Agony, Helplessness… (Reprise)” – Mrs. Vernon-Williams
“All in My Head” – Baldwin, Lenora, Ensemble
“Jailyard Jubilee” – Dupree, Ensemble
“A Little Upset” – Cry-Baby, Dupree, Ensemble
“I Did Something Wrong, Once” – Mrs. Vernon-Williams
“Thanks for the Nifty Country” – Baldwin, Ensemble
“This Amazing Offer” – Baldwin, Ensemble
“Do That Again” – Cry-Baby
“Nothing Bad’s Ever Gonna Happen Again” – Company
Which of these audition songs for Cry-Baby did you choose?
And what role are you auditioning for? We would love to hear all about it in the comments! And in the meantime, you can check out our database of best audition songs for other musicals.
Need extra help? Just go through this free audition prep checklist!
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, a TESOL drama certificate, and has worked and interned with Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters.