Audition Song Suggestions for The Last Five Years the Musical – By Character

Written by Leryn Turlington

August 22, 2020

Don’t let ‘The Next Ten Minutes’ go by without using this guide to prepare your musical theatre audition for The Last Five Years! Let Performer Stuff’s expert musical theatre audition song coaches find your perfect audition song for Jason Robert Brown’s two-person masterpiece The Last Five Years! 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 The Last Five Years. Be sure to let us know if the audition song worked for you!

Audition song suggestions for the character Cathy Hiatt (mezzo)


Catherine Hiatt is an aspiring actor from a small town whose exhausting career choice is only made more so by her husband’s sudden rise to fame as an author. Though he was once deeply infatuated and in love, he seems to leave her behind. They are unable to find common ground until he suddenly decides to leave her. Cathy’s point of view is anachronistic, so we meet her first at the end of her and Jamie’s relationship. Because this is a two-person play, this actor must have energy, resilience, and vocal stamina. 

“Anywhere But Here” from Honeymoon in Vegas



Get the Sheet Music Here

“Come to Your Senses” from Tick.. tick.. BOOM!


Get the Sheet Music Here

“Don’t Wanna Be Here” from Ordinary Days


Get the Sheet Music Here

“Hand in Hand” by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk


Get the Sheet Music Here

Audition song suggestions for the character Jamie Wellerstein (tenor)


At the top of the play, Jamie is an aspiring writer who is elated to meet Cathy, an aspiring actor, whose goyishness is a charming relief after many unsuccessful dates within the Jewish community. After his novel is published, he slowly climbs a ladder of literary success beyond the reach of Cathy, now his wife. Eventually, his selfishness and emotional distance creates major problems for their marriage. Because the two are only on stage together for one song, this actor must be capable of carrying a show and keeping the action of the song when it is directed to an absent listener. 

“Marry Me A Little” from Company



Get the Sheet Music Here 

“If I Had You” from Hit List


Get the Sheet Music Here

“Time Stops” from Big Fish


Get the Sheet Music Here

“Live in Living Color” from Catch Me If You Can 


Get the Sheet Music Here


Listen to a Spotify playlist of audition songs for the musical The Last Five Years here:

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Leryn Turlington is a Chicago-based actor, vocalist, and teaching artist who has performed on stages such as Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre, and more. She is the co-founder of the jazz group Treble on the L, a member of Actor’s Equity, and proud Florida State graduate. @lerynrene