Hey there! If you’re gearing up to audition for Jesus Christ Superstar, you already know it’s a bold, electrifying rock opera that dives into the last days of Jesus through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. The show is packed with emotional intensity, dynamic characters, and music that fuses classic rock with dramatic storytelling. Choosing the right audition song is key to capturing the energy and tone of these iconic roles, so I’ve put together a list of options to help you showcase your voice and stand out at your audition. Let’s find the perfect song for you!
1. Jesus Christ
(Tenor with emotional depth and vocal intensity)
- “Heaven’s Light” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken)
- “Bring Him Home” – Les Misérables (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
- “Music of the Night” – The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
- “Why God Why?” – Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
- “Heaven on Their Minds” – The Last Five Years (Jason Robert Brown)
- “Anthem” – Chess (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice)
- “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” – Les Misérables (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
2. Judas Iscariot
(Tenor/rock vocal with intense emotional range and edge)
- “Pity the Child” – Chess (Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Tim Rice)
- “Out There” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken)
- “Alive” – Jekyll & Hyde (Frank Wildhorn)
- “Santa Fe” – Newsies (Alan Menken)
- “Run Freedom Run” – Urinetown (Mark Hollmann, Greg Kotis)
- “Streets of Dublin” – A Man of No Importance (Stephen Flaherty)
- “I’m Alive” – Next to Normal (Tom Kitt, Brian Yorkey)
3. Mary Magdalene
(Mezzo-soprano with warmth and emotional nuance)
- “Someone Like You” – Jekyll & Hyde (Frank Wildhorn)
- “As If We Never Said Goodbye” – Sunset Boulevard (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
- “I Dreamed a Dream” – Les Misérables (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
- “How Could I Ever Know?” – The Secret Garden (Lucy Simon)
- “With You” – Ghost: The Musical (Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard)
- “Still Hurting” – The Last Five Years (Jason Robert Brown)
- “Easy as Life” – Aida (Elton John, Tim Rice)
4. Pontius Pilate
(Baritone with gravitas and inner conflict)
- “Stars” – Les Misérables (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
- “Where is the Life That Late I Led?” – Kiss Me, Kate (Cole Porter)
- “Soliloquy” – Carousel (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
- “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” – The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan)
- “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” – Oklahoma! (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
- “If I Can’t Love Her” – Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken)
- “C’est Moi” – Camelot (Lerner & Loewe)
5. Caiaphas
(Bass with an authoritative and menacing tone)
- “Ol’ Man River” – Show Boat (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)
- “This Nearly Was Mine” – South Pacific (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)
- “My Time of Day” – Guys and Dolls (Frank Loesser)
- “You’ll Be Back” – Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
- “How Low Can You Go” – Hadestown (Anaïs Mitchell)
- “Poor Unfortunate Souls” – The Little Mermaid (Alan Menken)
- “Be Prepared” – The Lion King (Elton John, Tim Rice)
6. Annas
(Tenor or baritone with sly, scheming energy)
- “Dentist!” – Little Shop of Horrors (Alan Menken)
- “Master of the House” – Les Misérables (Claude-Michel Schönberg)
- “A Little Priest” – Sweeney Todd (Stephen Sondheim)
- “The Ballad of Booth” – Assassins (Stephen Sondheim)
- “I’m Reviewing the Situation” – Oliver! (Lionel Bart)
- “Agony” – Into the Woods (Stephen Sondheim)
- “Gaston” – Beauty and the Beast (Alan Menken)
7. Simon Zealotes
(Tenor with energy and passion)
- “One Song Glory” – Rent (Jonathan Larson)
- “Go the Distance” – Hercules (Alan Menken)
- “Corner of the Sky” – Pippin (Stephen Schwartz)
- “Rise Up” – Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
- “Proud of Your Boy” – Aladdin (Alan Menken)
- “What Do I Need With Love” – Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jeanine Tesori)
- “Made of Stone” – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken)
8. King Herod
(Baritone/tenor with flamboyant and theatrical flair)
- “The King’s Dilemma” – Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Dave Malloy)
- “I Am Adolpho” – The Drowsy Chaperone (Lisa Lambert, Greg Morrison)
- “The Sadder-But-Wiser Girl” – The Music Man (Meredith Willson)
- “Razzle Dazzle” – Chicago (John Kander, Fred Ebb)
- “I Believe” – The Book of Mormon (Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Robert Lopez)
- “Be Prepared” – The Lion King (Elton John, Tim Rice)
- “You’ll Be Back” – Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
And there you have it—songs that will let you channel the energy and depth of these incredible Jesus Christ Superstar characters without stepping on the toes of the show’s iconic repertoire. Whether you’re auditioning for Jesus, Judas, Mary, or even King Herod, the goal is to show off your range and personality while giving a nod to the show’s style. Good luck out there—you’ve got this!
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