10 Best Audition Songs From 70s Musicals You Need
You’ve got an audition coming up for Grease and you need the perfect 16-bar cut. The good news is that 70s musicals run the gamut of style and genre. While it’s true that this decade solidified the popularity of the pop/rock musical, there are still many traditional Broadway-style shows to choose fr
You’ve got an audition coming up for Grease and you need the perfect 16-bar cut. The good news is that 70s musicals run the gamut of style and genre. While it’s true that this decade solidified the popularity of the pop/rock musical, there are still many traditional Broadway-style shows to choose from as well. Here are 10 outstanding selections for a variety of voice types.
Uptempo
Every book needs a strong uptempo number to show off your ability to deliver a rapid lyric. A great choice for female voices is “Wherever He Ain’t” from Mack & Mabel with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. This number demands comedic timing as well as impressive belting chops.
“Never” from On the Twentieth Century is another fiery female song from the team of Comden, Green, and Coleman. This one is a good choice for singers who want to use a higher mix and some head voice.
If you need something with a more contemporary sound, take a look at “Heaven on Their Minds” from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. It’s a big dramatic number that makes serious demands of lower voices.
Ballad
The belter’s ballad is a Broadway mainstay. There are so many to choose from that you probably won’t struggle to find 70s audition songs in this category. One of the greats for a female belter is “What I Did for Love” from A Chorus Line with music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban.
Male voices can sing “Mr. Cellophane” from Kander and Ebb’s Chicago. This song is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of an older genre with relevant, contemporary emotional content. This song is also one of the less frequently heard on the audition circuit. So if you want to sing something unusual without being obscure, this is a nice choice.
Another option for lower voices is “The Mason” by Craig Carnelia from the musical Working. This is one of those songs that sits in the crack between up-tempo and ballad. The sentiment and vocal styling are ballad-like, but the tempo flows nicely with strong forward motion.
Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim gets his own category because his music is a world in itself. If you are auditioning for a Sondheim show, you really must go in with a Sondheim song, preferably from a different show than the one you are auditioning for. The 1970s gives us no fewer than six Sondheim shows and one review, including the following:
- Company (1970)
- Follies (1971)
- A Little Night Music (1973)
- The Frogs (1974)
- Pacific Overtures (1976)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979)
All of the above offer some excellent audition cuts except Pacific Overtures which has a unique and difficult musical style and requires an Asian cast.
Fortunately, there is plenty left to choose from. Female belters should consider “Losing My Mind” from Follies. Sopranos with a legit head voice can’t go wrong with “Green Finch and Linnet Bird” from Sweeney Todd.
A delightful and unexpected ballad that can be sung by just about any voice type is “Fear No More” from The Frogs. The lyric is the famous Shakespeare poem from Cymbeline. The simplicity of the musical line gives plenty of room for your vocals to shine.
A big song for male voices is “Buddy’s Blues” from Follies. It runs the gamut of emotions and demands not only a strong vocal presence but excellent comedic timing and dramatic skills. Depending on how you cut it, you can focus the song on a particular skill set you want to show off.
Two bonus audition songs for women that are hilarious and not done often enough are “Can That Boy Foxtrot”, a cut song from Follies, and “I Never Do Anything Twice” from The Seven-Per-Sent Solution.
Songs To Avoid
This list has to start with a caveat. If one of your best audition songs appears on this list, don’t apologize for it. If you truly own a song, it fits your voice beautifully, you can act the heck out of it, and you know you can deliver it every time, go ahead and sing it anyway.
There are myriad reasons to avoid a song. The first that you often read about is that it’s simply sung too often and the folks at the casting table are tired of hearing it. This is not a great reason. Choosing obscure songs can work against you; however, although it’s not encouraged to choose an obscure song, if it’s the right choice for you and the type of audition, then go for it!
A more important reason is that the song simply doesn’t work well as a cut or doesn’t offer enough acting choices. Audition songs need to tell a story. They require an acting arc that shows a range of expressions. No matter how beautiful the song is, if it doesn’t allow you room to act, leave it at home.
General Guidelines
When considering your 70s audition songs, remember to pick songs that match the theme and style of the show you are auditioning for. Make sure the key shows off your best notes. And choose something you love that will let your personality and enthusiasm come through.
Whether you’re just here to appreciate the history of musical theater or are wanting to learn some new audition songs, we hope this is a great starting point for your musical journey.
Break a leg!
Published on December 14, 2022