From Binghamton to Broadway: A musical theatre student’s journey to ‘Death of a Salesman’

Jake Termine was feeling under the weather during Thanksgiving break 2025, scrolling through a casting platform. He almost didn’t even bother throwing his hat in the ring. Fast forward a few weeks, and the musical theatre major was set to act on Broadway.

The past six months or so have been a whirlwind for the Binghamton junior, going from honing his craft on campus to all of a sudden being thrown into a new environment – acting in the revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman alongside show business veterans like Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf, and being directed by famed director Joe Mantello. Termine is the first student in Binghamton's musical theatre major to perform on Broadway since the program launched in 2022.

“Throughout the entire process, it was still so surreal,” Termine said. “I never expected to be doing something like this at 20 years old. It still leaves me speechless that I get to say I'm in Death of a Salesman on Broadway with such legends.”

Termine plays a younger version of Happy Loman, one of the main characters in the current revival, which opened to the public in April at the Winter Garden Theatre, and runs through Aug. 9. The show has already won multiple Outer Critics Circle Awards (Best Revival of a Play, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play, Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play, Outstanding Direction of a Musical), and has received nine Tony Award nominations. However, this opportunity to perform in such a prestigious environment as Broadway nearly didn’t happen.

In by the skin of his teeth

Termine applied for the role of young Happy Loman on his own. He had no agent, no guidance on applying, and not a foot in the door. He said it all amounted to seeing an opportunity and just going for it.

While scrolling through a professional acting directory in November 2025, Termine saw an open call for a Broadway production (the listing did not mention which one) – and he submitted his headshot just one minute before the deadline. He received a request the next day to submit an audition tape. Jake was sick at the time, but never one to miss an opportunity, he did as good a job as he could muster and submitted that as well.

The show’s casting director then reached out to Termine via his personal website, requesting to see more material. After reading a scene over Zoom, Jake was invited to read for Young Happy, and he was officially offered the part.

This revival of the play is unique, Termine noted that previous versions of Death of a Salesman did not feature separate actors playing the younger versions of Happy and Biff. This allowed him to add a little more of himself to the role of the happy-go-lucky child, full of life and desperate for love.

“Throughout the audition process, I never actually read the full script — only the sides given to me,” Termine said. “Because I didn't know the full picture, I created my own world around the character, pulling from my own life. That really helped me connect initially.” 

The life of a young actor

Being in the midst of the hustle and bustle of New York City likely conjures up many preconceived notions about what it’s like to be a Broadway actor. For Termine, though, one thing he pointed out that would surprise many people about his day-to-day life, oddly, is … there is lots of downtime. In general, he doesn’t need to be at the theatre for a 7 p.m. show until about 6:30 p.m. The rest of the day is his.

Still, that does not mean he’s sitting idle. The preparation and focus on his craft never stop.

“It's really about creating routines – going to coffee shops, doing things that keep me grounded – so I can show up to work 100%,” Termine said.

The working environment is another facet of his recent life in the Big Apple that took Termine by surprise – not in how different being on Broadway is from acting in Binghamton’s musical theatre program, but in how similar they are.

Termine noted that he expected rehearsals for Death of a Salesman at Lincoln Center to be intimidating, fast-paced, and intense. That was not the case. He drew parallels of his new acting space to what he already knew in Binghamton – relaxed, open, collaborative.

“The collaboration is the same — you're with a group of people who want to create art and tell stories. That doesn't change from Binghamton to Broadway,” Termine said. The spaces hold artists who want to create magic on stage, maybe at different calibers, but the creativity within everyone is the same.“

Termine isn't alone in his pursuits in show business. His roommate from on-campus at Binghamton was fellow Bearcat Jesse Findling. Findling, a biology major who minors in musical theatre, made it to the top 12 of American Idol in March. The two kept each other grounded in the midst of their respective audition processes.

“We always kept the good vibes up in our apartment, kept the good juju in and the bad juju out. We were going through our respective audition processes at roughly the same time, so we could lean on each other,” Termine said. “I never let Jesse get in his head, and he was great at reciprocating that. I'm so proud of him, and I know he's proud of me too.”

Among the stars

It’s Broadway. That’s where the best of the best land.

Termine knew that going into Death of a Salesman. He knew he wanted to be a sponge, soaking every bit of knowledge from the stars he’d be sharing a stage with as he could.

“I came in with an open mind and told myself I was going to observe and listen, and they made that very easy,” Termine said.

The “they” Termine references are the notable stars he had the privilege to work alongside every day. Among them, Nathan Lane (The Producers, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Lion King), starring as Willy Loman, Laurie Metcalf (Rosanne, Desperate Housewives, The Big Bang Theory), starring as his wife Linda, and director Joe Mangello (Wicked, Take Me Out, Assassins).

Of Lane and Metcalf, Termine praised their attention to detail and bringing 100% of themselves to every rehearsal and performance. As for Mantello, Termine calls him an “evil genius”, in the best possible way, of course.

“If Joe Mantello calls, I'm picking up the phone,” Termine said. “He has an eye for the best of the best, and he's so fostering. He encouraged failure, because failure makes you grow. He made me feel like a true developing performer. I will never have words to describe what he means to me, and I'm so thankful he was my debut director.“

Along with receiving four aforementioned Outer Critics Circle Awards, this rendition of Death of a Salesman has been nominated for Tony Awards in 9 categories, including Best Revival of a Play, Best Direction of a Play (Mantello), Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (Lane), and Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play (Metcalf).

The show has been praised for staying true to the original play while bringing something new to the audience. Termine says that, along with the quality of cast, crew, and direction, the themes of the play truly connect with the modern day.

“The part that gets to me every time is when Willy and Linda sit down after Young Biff and Young Happy leave and go over their bills – how are they going to pay them?” Termine said. “That's more relevant than ever. I'm grateful this is being brought into 2026 in such a modern, newly radicalized way.”

After the play closes in August, Termine said he plans to take another semester off from Binghamton University to see where the momentum from landing a role in Death of a Salesman takes him, but that he would certainly love to explore returning to campus to further his education.

He knows, though, that any of his peers in the musical theatre program are destined for greatness.

“In this business, it's very easy to get in your head and doubt yourself, but you can't stay in that mindset too long,” Termine said. “Trust your plan and your vision. I firmly believe your path is already paved — you just have to walk it. Keep people around you who equally believe in you. Keep your vision alive, stay creative, stay hungry, and believe it.”