32 Dark Musical Theatre Songs – by Vocal Type
Are you searching for a dark musical theatre song for an upcoming project? Whether you’re preparing for an audition, curating a playlist for a themed event, or simply exploring the darker side of musical theatre, you’ve come to the right place! Below, you’ll discover a list of dark showtunes, broken down by vocal type.
To enhance your experience, pop on our Spotify playlist – “Musical Theatre’s Dark Side”➝.
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Altos
“Lifeboat” – Heathers
“Predator” – Jagged Little Pill
“You Don’t Know” – Next to Normal
“You Don’t Know This Man” – Parade
Baritones
“A Man Could Go Quite Mad” – The Mystery of Edwin Drood
“Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” – Les Misérables
“It’s Hard to Speak My Heart” – Parade
“Javert’s Suicide” – Les Misérables
Basses
“Funeral Tango” – Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
“Mama, Look Sharp” – 1776
“My Friends” – Sweeney Todd
“This Is Not An Exit” – American Psycho
Contras
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind” – A Tale of Two Cities
“The Ballad of Booth” – Assassins
“There’s a World” – Next to Normal
“Without You” – Rent
Psst… Here’s where you can find out your vocal type!
Mezzo-Sopranos
“Maybe I Like It This Way” – The Wild Party
“Old Folks” – Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
“The Movie in My Mind” – Miss Saigon
“Wait” – Sweeney Todd
Sopranos
“After Midnight Dies” – The Wild Party
“I Remember” – Evening Primrose
“My Death” – Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris
“The Gypsy” – Jane Eyre
Tenors
“How Glory Goes” – Floyd Collins
“I Don’t Care Much” – Cabaret
“That’s What He Said” – Parade
“You Gotta Die Sometime” – Falsettos
Trebles
“Castle on a Cloud” – Les Misérables
“Come to the Fun Home” – Fun Home
“Little People” – Les Misérables
“Not While I’m Around” – Sweeney Todd
Want more songs? Check out these DIY Rep Books for EVERY vocal type!
Which of these dark musical theatre songs is your favorite?
And what are you working on at the moment? Feel free to share in the comments below!
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.