The Best Audition Songs for The Mystery of Edwin Drood – by Character
Do you have an upcoming audition for The Mystery of Edwin Drood? 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 The Mystery of Edwin Drood, broken down by character.
Since The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a pre-contemporary musical, most of the following songs are from 1970s-1990s musicals as well. In addition there are lots of character songs below 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 read through the synopsis while listening to the Drood cast album➝.
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.
Bazzard / Phillip Bax
“At the Grand Hotel” – Grand Hotel
“Guido’s Song” – Nine
“Only With You” – Nine
“The Colors of My Life” – Barnum
Chairperson / Mayor Thomas Sapsea
“Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc.” – Ragtime
“I’ll Be Here Tomorrow” – The Grand Tour
“Out There” – Barnum
“Thank You Very Much” – Scrooge!
Edwin Drood / Alice Nutting
“Everybody Wants to Do a Musical” – Nick & Nora
“I Am Here to Stay” – Nunsense II
“It’s an Art” – Working
“One Brick at a Time” – Barnum
John Jasper / Clive Paget
“Alive!” – Jekyll & Hyde
“Farewell, Good Angel” – Jane Eyre
“Funny” – City of Angels
“In Every Age” – Titanic
Princess Puffer / Angela Prysock
“As If We Never Said Goodbye” – Sunset Boulevard
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” – Kiss of the Spider Woman
“Surabaya-Santa” – Songs for a New World
“What You Need” – Grand Hotel
Rosa Bud / Deirdre Peregrine
“Believe” – The Scarlet Pimpernel
“How Could I Ever Know?” – The Secret Garden
“My True Love” – Phantom
“When There’s No One” – Carrie
Ensemble (Altos)
“As We Stumble Along” – The Drowsy Chaperone
“Beautiful Things” – Doctor Dolittle
“Bring on the Men” – Jekyll & Hyde
Ensemble (Baritones)
“As Good As You” – Jane Eyre
“I’ll Begin Again” – Scrooge!
“She is Not Thinking of Me” – Gigi
Ensemble (Basses)
“In My Own Lifetime” – The Rothschilds
“Masculinity” – La Cage aux Folles
“There’s Always One You Can’t Forget” – Dance a Little Closer
Ensemble (Contras)
“I Hate Musicals” – Ruthless!
“The Story of Lucy and Jessie” – Follies
“Willing to Ride” – Steel Pier
Psst… Here’s where you can find out your vocal type!
Ensemble (Mezzos)
“Bride’s Lament” – The Drowsy Chaperone
“Lady’s Maid” – Titanic
“Painting Her Portrait” – Jane Eyre
Ensemble (Sopranos)
“Melodie de Paris” – Phantom
“Nelson” – A Day in Hollywood, a Night in the Ukraine
“Repent” – On the Twentieth Century
Ensemble (Tenors)
“Buddy’s Blues” – Follies
“How Did They Build the Titanic?” – Titanic
“Love Can’t Happen” – Grand Hotel
Step 4: Select a monologue
If requested, here are a few audition monologues for The Mystery of Edwin Drood:
• “Actor!” in Audition Monologues for Young Men➝
• “An Illegal Death Warrant➝” from The Strange Gentleman➝
• “Sherlock Holmes and the … Elusive Ear” in The Best Men’s Monologues from New Plays, 2019➝
• “The Man I Could Bind Myself To➝” from A Doll’s House➝ (Nora)
• “Where Is He?➝” from The Father Clock➝ (Flub)
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!
The Mystery of Edwin Drood Song List
Here’s a list of the musical numbers in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 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:
“There You Are” – Chairman, Company
“A Man Could Go Quite Mad” – Jasper
“Two Kinsmen” – Drood, Jasper
“Moonfall” – Rosa
“Moonfall Quartet” – Rosa, Helena, Alice, Beatrice
“The Wages of Sin” – Puffer
“Ceylon / A British Subject” – Helena, Neville, Drood, Ensemble
“Both Sides of the Coin” – Sapsea, Jasper
“Perfect Strangers” – Rosa, Drood
“No Good Can Come From Bad” – Neville, Jasper, Rosa, Drood, Helena, Ensemble
“Never the Luck” – Bazzard, Ensemble
“Off to the Races” – Sapsea, Durdles, Deputy, Ensemble
Act 2:
“An English Music Hall” – Chairman, Company
“Settling Up the Score” – Puffer, Datchery, Ensemble
“The Name of Love” / “Moonfall” – Jasper, Rosa, Company
“Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead” – Puffer, Datchery, Company
“Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead (Reprise)” – Company
“Settling Up the Score (Reprise)” – Chairman, Company
“The Garden Path to Hell” – Puffer
“Out on a Limerick” – Varies
“Jasper’s Confession” – Jasper
“Murderer’s Confession” – Varies
“Perfect Strangers (Reprise)” – Varies
“The Writing on the Wall” – Drood, Company
Which of these audition songs for The Mystery of Edwin Drood 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.