The Best Audition Songs for The Lion King – By Character
When considering audition songs for The Lion King, it’s fitting to choose a character-driven song from Disney or 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 The Lion King premiered in 1997, the audition songs below are from 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 (in the case of the Disney auditions for The Lion King, they often request R&B, pop, rock, or gospel).
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 The Lion King.
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 The Lion King
🎶 Need more audition song ideas? Build your audition book with a DIY Rep Book for your voice type: 200+ songs with ranges, tempos, and listening links. Or explore thousands of songs, monologues, and the Character Studio in the Theatre Trip Repertoire Studio→
Mufasa
“A Chance For Me” – Amazing Grace
“Evermore” – Beauty and the Beast (Film)
“Make Them Hear You” – Ragtime
“Rain” – Once on This Island
“Wheels of a Dream” – Ragtime
Nala
“Burden Down” – Jennifer Hudson (Non-Theatre)
“Easy as Life” – Aida
“I’m Here” – The Color Purple
“The Gods Love Nubia” – Aida
“The Past Is Another Land” – Aida
Pumbaa
“Havin’ a Hunch” – Seussical
“If I Didn’t Have You” – Monsters Inc. (Film)
“In Summer” – Frozen
“One Last Hope” – Hercules
“When I Am Older” – Frozen 2 (Film)
Rafiki
“Dig a Little Deeper” – The Princess and the Frog (Film)
“Mama Will Provide” – Once on This Island
“These Are My Children” – Fame
“Twelve Children” – Dessa Rose
“White Milk & Red Blood” – Dessa Rose
Scar
“Diamond in the Rough” – Aladdin
“Don’t Be the Bunny” – Urinetown
“Friends on the Other Side” – The Princess and the Frog (Film)
“Nowhere Left to Run” – Amazing Grace
“The Coachman to Pleasure Island” – Pinocchio (Film)
Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed
“I’m Too Hot for You” – School of Rock
“Play With Your Food” – Honk!
“Sweet Child” – The Little Mermaid
“The Whole Being Dead Thing” – Beetlejuice
“When I Climb to the Top of Mount Rock” – School of Rock
Simba
“Before the Summer Ends” – Dracula
“Everyday” – Phil Collins (Non-Theatre)
“Everything That I Am” – Tarzan
“Love’s Divine” – Seal (Non-Theatre)
“You’ll Be in My Heart” – Tarzan
Timon
“How Lucky You Are” – Seussical
“Positoovity” – The Little Mermaid
“The Moon and Me” – The Addams Family
“You Can’t Trust a Man” – Tuck Everlasting
“Why Should I Worry?” – Oliver & Company (Film)
Young Nala / Young Simba
“In the Big Blue World” – Finding Nemo
“It’s Possible” – Seussical
“Opportunity” – Annie (Film)
“Waiting for Life” – Once on This Island
“When I Get My Name in Lights” – The Boy From Oz
Zazu
“Expectations” – Amazing Grace
“Like Animals” – Doctor Dolittle
“Lucky” – Lucky Stiff
“Sennett Song” – Chaplin
“The Vegetarian” – Doctor Dolittle
🎭 Are you never quite sure which roles to audition for? Take our free Casting Archetype Quiz to see if you’re a villain, ingénue, hero, romantic, or a type that’s even more unique!
Ensemble (Altos)
“Daybreak” – Amazing Grace
“Forever Yours” – Once on This Island
“The Human Heart” – Once on This Island
Ensemble (Baritones)
“Heaven’s Light” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
“If I Can’t Love Her” – Beauty and the Beast
“Ma Belle Evangeline” – The Princess and the Frog (Film)
Ensemble (Basses)
“How Long Must This Go On?” – Beauty and the Beast
“I’ll Be Here” – The Wild Party (Lippa)
“Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People” – Frozen
Ensemble (Contras)
“Every Story Is a Love Story” – Aida
“God Help the Outcasts” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
“Someday” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Ensemble (Mezzos/Sopranos)
“Come Down from the Tree” – Once on This Island
“Dance to the Day” – The Prince of Egypt
“You Can’t Get to Heaven” – The Life
Ensemble (Tenors)
“Another Pyramid” – Aida
“Proud of Your Boy” – Aladdin
“River Jordan” – The Civil War
Step 4: Select a Monologue
If requested, here are a few audition monologues for The Lion King:
• “Animal Language” from Doctor Dolittle
• “Light and Darkness” from Akhnaton
• “Power of the Priesthood” from Akhnaton
• “Straight Ahead” from Turnabout Night at the Zoo
• “Three Quarter Moon” from The Old Man and the Old Moon
Step 5: Get Your Free Audition Prep Tools
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.
Get Theatre Trip’s free audition prep resources, including:
☑ Your Audition Prep Checklist
☑ Printable Audition Stamp Cards
☑ Updates when new audition tools are added
Grab your free resources on Patreon→
The Lion King Song List
Here’s a list of the musical numbers in The Lion King, 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! This 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:
“Circle of Life” – Rafiki, Ensemble
“Grasslands Chant” – Ensemble
“The Morning Report” – Zazu, Mufasa, Young Simba
“The Lioness Hunt” – Ensemble
“I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – Young Simba, Young Nala, Zazu, Ensemble
“Chow Down” – Shenzi, Banzai, Ed
“They Live in You” – Mufasa, Ensemble
“Be Prepared” – Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed
“The Stampede” – Ensemble
“Rafiki Mourns” – Rafiki, Ensemble
“Hakuna Matata” – Timon, Pumbaa, Young Simba, Simba
Act 2:
“One by One” – Ensemble
“The Madness of King Scar” – Scar, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, Nala
“Shadowland” – Nala, Ensemble
“Endless Night” – Simba, Ensemble
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” – Timon, Pumbaa, Simba, Nala, Ensemble
“He Lives in You (Reprise)” – Rafiki, Simba, Ensemble
“King of Pride Rock” / “Circle of Life” – Ensemble
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.
