Audition Song Suggestions for Waitress the Musical – By Character
Written by Leryn Turlington
August 18, 2020
It would be a “Bad Idea” to prepare your musical theatre audition for the Broadway hit Waitress without this guide! Let Performer Stuff’s expert musical theatre audition song coaches find your perfect audition song for the musical theatre sensation Waitress. Our recommendations come with links to purchase sheet music or an audition cut found on PerformerStuff.com. For further study, we provide links to listen to audition songs on both Youtube and a Spotify playlist. Break a leg with your audition for Waitress the musical. Be sure to let us know if the audition song worked for you!
Audition song suggestions for the character Jenna (soprano/mezzo)
Jenna is a small town waitress whose life strayed so far from what she imagined that she retreats into baking imaginative, gourmet pies that provide her with purpose and an escape. Her loving coworkers have encouraged her to end her unhappy marriage with Earl when Jenna discovers she is pregnant. With the help of her friends, and after a passionate and illicit affair with her gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter, Jenna finds the strength and independence to leave Earl, create financial stability, and raise her daughter Lulu in a loving environment.
“Fire” by Sara Bareilles
Audition song suggestions for the character Dawn (mezzo)
Dawn is Jenna’s coworker at Joe’s Diner, where she is accepted and loved for her eccentricities and her obsessive need for structure and order. She is deeply skeptical of the world and romance, two things that haven’t always given her the same support as her diner family. She finds a true soul mate and partner in Ogie, a man from her online dating site, and they celebrate finding someone with similar interests (i.e. Revolutionary War Reenactment) and values.
“Here I Go” from If/Then
Audition song suggestions for the character Becky (mezzo/alto)
Becky is Jenna’s coworker at Joe’s Diner, and the oldest of the group. She has led a trying life, yet remains spirited and full of wisdom and whimsy to share with the younger women. As the long-term caretaker for her older, disabled husband, she finds herself in an affair with Cal, the diner’s cook, where both are hoping to escape life’s difficult demands and allow their needs to be cared for instead.
“If You Knew My Story” from Bright Star
Audition song suggestions for the character Dr. Pomatter (tenor)
While his wife finishes her residency at the local hospital, Dr. Jim Pomatter finds a position as a gynecologist in the same small town as Joe’s Diner. He is assigned to care for Jenna throughout her pregnancy, and the two begin an unexpected and meaningful affair. Jim, usually a neurotic and anxious person, finds a calmness and reliability in Jenna, while his nurturing and affectionate nature shows Jenna what could be possible in a relationship. They realize they must part ways, but leave with extreme gratitude for what they shared.
“Kiss the Air” by Scott Alan
Audition song suggestions for the character Earl (baritone)
Earl is Jenna’s manipulative and abusive husband. Pulsing with toxic masculinity, Earl is intimidated by any success of Jenna’s, including her ability to financially support them when he loses his job from tardiness. He suffers terrible mood swings that reveal he is both harshly critical of her but couldn’t stand to lose her. This actor plays guitar, and is constantly harkening back to his ‘glory days’ with his small town band.
“I Don’t Wanna Be” by Gavin DeGraw
Audition song suggestions for the character Ogie (tenor)
Ogie and Dawn matched on an internet dating site and we learn that he is every bit as odd as Dawn, if not more. He is a clog dancer, amateur magician, and recites spontaneous poetry, all of which force Dawn to admit to her own weirdness since they do in fact get along extremely well. She eventually lets down her guard for him, which isn’t hard to do since he is persistent to a fault. He is wild about her, and knows that with the right encouragement she will let her heart guide her to him.
“Where Oh Where” from The Robber Bridegroom
Audition song suggestions for the character Joe (baritone)
Joe is the owner of Joe’s Diner where Jenna, Dawn, and Becky work. He is a meticulous owner, showing up every day to inspect and instruct. Although curmudgeonly and overbearing on the outside, he shows his generous side when learning of Jenna’s condition and situation. He encourages her to take part in a baking competition that could set her on her feet, and eventually leaves his diner to her after he passes.
“Father and Son” by Cat Stevens
Audition song suggestions for the Ensemble Characters (all vocal types)
Members of the community; patrons of the diner; Cal, the diner’s cook; pregnant women; Dr. Pomatter’s wife; and child actors including Lulu.