15 more audition songs with wit, glamour, bite, and depth
If Part 1 was about great musical theater songs for actresses over 35, Part 2 is for the women who want something a little less obvious (because, let’s face it: we all love killer audition pieces, but when it’s lesser known it’s an even smarter choice!)
Yes, there are the standards. The good ol’ reliables. There are the big warhorses. There are the songs everybody and her aunt drags into the audition room. Some totally deserve their love. Some…. need a little rest, to put it kindly (I’ve got my opinions!)
But if you are a grown woman looking for repertoire with real personality, this is where things get super fun for you!
These songs are for actresses with wit, glamour, life experience, comic timing, menace, heartbreak, authority, or the very specific energy of “I have seen too much and yet I remain fabulous.” In other words, the real juicy stuff.
So here are 15 underrated musical theater songs for actresses over 35. Some are funny, some are beautiful, some are strange, and some are gloriously sharp-edged. All of them give a mature actress something interesting to do. After all, don’t we only get more fascinating with time?
1. “Fifty Percent” from Ballroom
This is such a smart choice!
It has that marvelous grown-woman combination of humor, resignation, intelligence, and emotional truth. It is not trying to be cute, and it is not trying to convince anybody that life has been a nonstop parade of moonbeams. It feels lived in, and that is exactly why it works. It’s…real!
2. “You Don’t Know” from Here’s Love
This is exactly the kind of song that makes a Part 2 worth doing.
It is not the same thing everybody reaches for, and that alone gives it an edge. There is something satisfying about finding material that feels theatrical and specific without sounding like you pulled it from the first page of a standard audition list. This is a sweet, sweeping ballad that is simple yet emotional, and shows off someone with a lovely legit soprano voice. If you have a classical background, it’s also a solid crossover piece.
3. “To Keep My Love Alive” from A Connecticut Yankee
Now this is delicious…and I have performed this one and loved every single minute of it, every time!
I have to say, I’ve had a few ladies adore this one and used it for competitions and auditions, and it’s such a slam dunk piece, vocally and dramatically (or, comically!)
Dark, witty, dry, and just twisted enough, this is a fabulous pick for a woman with strong comic instincts and zero interest in being bland. If you enjoy a song that lets you be elegant while casually horrifying people, this is a very good time. Rodgers and Hart. Enough said. Give it a listen!
4. “I Want the Good Times Back” from The Little Mermaid
Ursula is one of the great larger-than-life roles for a woman with presence, BIG personality, and power.
This song is bold, theatrical, funny, dangerous, and full of opportunity for an actress who knows how to take up space. It is not subtle, and frankly, that is part of its charm. If you consider yourself an expert in villainess camp, this one is for you.
5. “Jenny’s Blues” from It Shoulda Been You
This one has wonderful frazzled energy.
It is contemporary, funny, and grounded in the particular chaos of a woman trying to hold everything together while the universe actively refuses to cooperate. Which, let us be honest, is highly playable material. A terrific choice for an actress who shines in comic realism. Don’t let the fact that this show didn’t do well scare you off: it’s solid.
6. “My Most Beautiful Day” from Tuck Everlasting
This is a lovely change of pace. I LOVE this score!!! Talk about another gem of a show that didn’t get the love it so deserves.
Warm, heartfelt, reflective, and deeply human, this song gives a mature actress something tender and genuine without making her sound matronly or stiff. If your list is getting too full of acid, sequins, and controlled rage, this one brings in some grace. This is for the mature lady with a sweet personality.
7. “This Place Is Mine” from Phantom
Not Andrew Lloyd Webber. Yeston. Let us be specific. Having said that, BOTH Carlottas? Dream roles.
This is sweeping, dramatic, and gloriously theatrical. It has that full-bodied, passionate quality that works beautifully for a mature actress with command and vocal presence. A strong pick for someone who wants something lush and serious without choosing the same old obvious material. This piece has drive, AND high notes. What more could you ask for? You’ll love this one.
8. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” from A Tale of Two Cities
Here we have darkness and big dramatic sounds, and I approve.
This is an excellent choice if you want a song with intensity, severity, and emotional weight. Not every actress over 35 wants to do glamour, nostalgia, or comedy. Some of you are better when you get to stare into the middle balcony, and terrify people a little. That is a valid artistic path. If you love what Madame Thenadier sings in Les Mis, this is right up your alley!
9. “Welcome to the Theatre” from Applause
This is such a fun inclusion. Obsessed with this show lately? Maybe.
It has insider-showbiz bite, theatrical flair, and exactly the kind of seasoned-woman energy that makes repertoire come alive. If you have timing, style, and a little backstage-queen sparkle, this one gives you a lot to play with. Lauren Bacall didn’t exactly have pipes, but honey, she won the Tony for how she delivered.
10. “Nelson” from A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine
Now this is a left-field pick, which is part of why I love it.
Quirky, character-driven, and very theatrical, “Nelson” helps make this list feel more distinctive. It is not generic. It is not safe. It is not something everybody is doing. For a soprano with dry wit. Obscure? Sure. Great piece? Absolutely.
11. “The Bus from Amarillo” from The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
A wonderful grown-woman song.
This has a lived-in quality that I really like, and it also brings in a bit of country flavor, which gives the list more texture. If you want something mature, reflective, and a little different from the standard city-girl musical theater menu, this is a strong choice. Not every mature musical theater performer is a soprano or a villain. Some have some “I’ve seen it all” realness and sass, like Miss Mona.
12. “Sweet Thursday” from Pipe Dream
Another madam, because apparently we are building a small but distinguished collection (not intentional, I swear!)
This is a terrific character piece for a mature actress. It has personality, theatricality, and that slightly off-center quality that makes a song more memorable. I always enjoy repertoire that suggests the woman singing it has actually had a life.
Fun fact: the role was originally played by Helen Traubel, a Metropolitan Opera soprano who “dabbled” in musical theater and jazz …and famously got fired for doing so (wow)!
Soo….if YOU are a classically trained mature soprano, this one’s for you, too. Hopefully you won’t get fired from your day job of opera diva.
13. “Something Wonderful” from The King and I
Beautiful, noble, and sincere.
This is a gorgeous legit option for a mature actress who wants dignity and emotional depth without becoming generic. Sometimes the quieter, steadier songs say more than the giant diva showcases. This one has real grace. For an Asian actress over 35.
14. “Fable” from The Light in the Piazza
This is one of the most elegant choices on the list. Ahhh, this score….!
Margaret’s music has maturity, thoughtfulness, and emotional complexity, and “Fable” gives a performer the chance to be lyrical and intelligent at the same time. A beautiful option for someone who wants something more refined and less obvious. If you have serious legit chops, give this one a look.
15. “Will You?” from Grey Gardens
Big Edie gets some of the most fascinating material a mature actress could ask for, and this is a wonderful example.
There is vulnerability here, but also personality, history, and that marvelous sense that you are listening to a woman whose life has not gone in a straight line. Which, of course, tends to make for much better material anyway.
Everything in this show is solid acting material, period.
Why these songs are worth your time
One of the problems with a lot of audition rep lists is that they start to sound the same after a while. Same handful of titles. Same handful of shows. Same basic idea of womanhood.
But actresses over 35 are not one thing. You may be glamorous. You may be sharp-tongued. You may be warm, severe, comic, brittle, romantic, exhausted, regal, delusional, or all of the above before lunch.
That is why I love a list like this. It opens the door a little wider.
These songs give mature actresses something richer to work with: stronger point of view, more theatrical variety, more specific character life, and frankly, more fun.
So if you are beyond ingénue territory (lovely music, but can get boring) and looking for musical theater songs that actually feel like they belong to a grown woman, start here. The weird, witty, glamorous, moving, underrated corners of the repertoire have a lot to offer.
And as usual, the less obvious choices are often where the gold is. Have fun listening, and I hope you find a piece or two that speak to you specifically!
And if you do? I am right here for you, to help coach you! Schedule now!