The Best Audition Songs for Ragtime – By Character
When considering audition songs for Ragtime, it’s fitting to choose a dramatic song from musical theatre repertoire that aligns with the tone of the show and suits your vocal type. Always refer to the audition notice for specific guidelines.
Because Ragtime premiered in 1996, the audition songs below are drawn from musicals between the 1980s and 2010s. Each one has been carefully hand-picked and reviewed to ensure it matches the show’s style.
Step 1: Review Audition Info
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: Study the Show
Before auditioning, you should get familiar with the show, and listening to the cast album is a great way to do that. Here’s where you can learn more about Ragtime.
Step 3: Pick an Audition Song
Before choosing a song, find your voice type and range using the Vocal Guide.
Based on your personality and vocal type, decide whether to audition for the ensemble or a specific character. Whatever you choose, try to stay open to other casting possibilities.
When you’re ready, choose a song from below that best fits your voice and style.
Audition Songs for Ragtime
✨ Want audition material that gets you noticed? Explore monologues, songs, and guidance on finding your casting lane inside The Theatre Trip Archive on Patreon!
Coalhouse Walker, Jr
“Farewell, Good Angel” – Jane Eyre
“Sarah” – The Civil War
“They Live in You” – The Lion King
“Where’s the Girl?” – The Scarlet Pimpernel
Evelyn Nesbit
“As We Stumble Along” – The Drowsy Chaperone
“I Want to Go to Hollywood” – Grand Hotel
“Jazz Time” – Marguerite
“Show Off” – The Drowsy Chaperone
Father
“Barrett’s Song” – Titanic
“In Every Age” – Titanic
“The Life That You Wished For” – Chaplin
“Where Are All the People?” – Chaplin
Mother
“Children of the Wind” – Rags
“Do It Alone” – Parade
“Living in the Shadows” – Victor/Victoria
“You Don’t Know This Man” – Parade
Sarah
“Beautiful” – Marie Christine
“He’s No Good” – The Life
“I Wish I Could Forget You” – Passion
“Tell Me” – Marie Christine
Tateh
“Happy/Sad” – The Addams Family
“I’ll Be Here Tomorrow” – The Grand Tour
“The American Dream” – Miss Saigon
“You Can Get Away With Anything” – The Woman in White
Younger Brother
“If the World Were Like the Movies” – My Favorite Year
“The Man I Used to Be” – The Count of Monte Cristo
“To Be a Captain” – Titanic
“Yankee Boy” – Rags
Ensemble (Altos)
“A Lovely Day to Be Out of Jail” – The Life
“Black Is a Moocher” – The Wild Party
“Brand New World” – Rags
Ensemble (Baritones)
“How Can I Call This Home?” – Parade
“It’s Hard to Speak My Heart” – Parade
“What’s Left of Love?” – Marguerite
Ensemble (Basses)
“Funny” – City of Angels
“Grand Parade” – Grand Hotel
“I Waltz Alone” – Grand Hotel
Ensemble (Contras)
“God Help The Outcasts” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
“My Child Will Forgive Me” – Parade
“What You Need” – Grand Hotel
Ensemble (Mezzo-Sopranos)
“All Things to One Man” – Grind
“Blame It on the Summer Night” – Rags
“How Bout a Dance?” – Bonnie & Clyde
Ensemble (Sopranos)
“How Could I Ever Know?” – The Secret Garden
“I’m Leaving You” – The Life
“Will You?” – Grey Gardens
Ensemble (Tenors)
“Big News!” – Parade
“My Daddy Always Taught Me to Share” – Grind
“Pretty Music” – Parade
Step 4: Select a Monologue
If requested, here are a few audition monologues for Ragtime:
• “I Can’t Write” from The Genius
• “Nasty Scoundrels” from The Fourteenth of July
• “Something Like This” from Call of the Revolution
• “What Truth?” from The Cherry Orchard
• “What War Is” from The Whipping Man
Step 5: Audition Prep
Choosing the right song is just the beginning! Strong preparation helps you walk into the room with confidence and ready to show what you can do.
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Ragtime Song List
Here’s a list of the musical numbers in Ragtime, 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.
* That said, if you’ve specifically been asked to sing a song from the show, you can find the sheet music for the best possible audition songs below.
Act 1:
“Prologue: Ragtime” – Company
“Goodbye, My Love” – Mother
“Journey On” – Father, Tateh, Mother
“The Crime of the Century” – Evelyn Nesbit, Younger Brother, Mother, Ensemble
“What Kind of Woman” – Mother
“A Shtetl iz Amereke” – Tateh, Little Girl, Ensemble
“Success” – Tateh, Ensemble
“His Name Was Coalhouse Walker” – Coalhouse, Ensemble
“Gettin’ Ready Rag” – Coalhouse, Ensemble
“Henry Ford” – Henry Ford, Coalhouse, Ensemble
“Nothing Like the City” – Tateh, Mother, Edgar, Little Girl
“Your Daddy’s Son” – Sarah
“The Courtship” – Coalhouse, Mother, Ensemble
“New Music” – Father, Mother, Younger Brother, Coalhouse, Sarah, Ensemble
“Wheels of a Dream” – Coalhouse, Sarah
“The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square” – Younger Brother, Emma Goldman, Ensemble
“Gliding” – Tateh
“Justice” – Coalhouse, Sarah, Ensemble
“President” – Sarah
“Till We Reach That Day” – Sarah’s Friend, Coalhouse, Company
Act 2:
“Coalhouse’s Soliloquy” – Coalhouse
“Coalhouse Demands” – Coalhouse, Ensemble
“What a Game” – Father, Ensemble
“Atlantic City” – Evelyn Nesbit, Father, Mother, Ensemble
“Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc.” – Tateh
“Our Children” – Mother, Tateh
“Sarah Brown Eyes” – Coalhouse, Sarah
“He Wanted to Say” – Younger Brother, Emma Goldman, Coalhouse, Ensemble
“Back to Before” – Mother, Ensemble
“Look What You’ve Done” – Booker T. Washington, Coalhouse, Ensemble
“Make Them Hear You” – Coalhouse
“Epilogue” – Company
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.
