Former Binghamton roommates find glory on Broadway and ‘American Idol’

There was something special in the fall of 2025 about 207E Glenwood in Binghamton University’s on-campus Apartments Community.

Occupant Jake Termine describes it as “good juju.”

His roommate, Jesse Findling, jokingly calls it “magical dust.”

By the end of the semester, Termine and Findling were embarking on journeys that took them to great heights in the entertainment world. Termine, a theatre major with a concentration in acting from Rockland County, won the role of Young Happy Loman in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. The production, which starred Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, won six Tony Awards and ran from March to August.

Findling, a biology major and musical theatre minor from Long Island, advanced to the top 12 in the ABC-TV reality singing show American Idol. Findling won hearts (and votes) across the country each week with versions of hits such as Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” and The Fray’s “You Found Me.”

Termine and Findling began their pursuits in Glenwood, having become good friends after appearing in the Theatre Department’s MainStage production of Anything Goes in fall 2024. Their successes led them to take a hiatus from Binghamton University at the end of 2025.

“When both of us took our gap semesters, we had a line of people wanting to go into that apartment!” Termine recalls. “I hope whoever is in it now is living their best lives.”

Termine and Findling’s friendship and understanding of what was at stake enabled them to encourage each other during anxiety-filled rehearsals and practices in the apartment. The pair even created a video predicting their 2026 successes.

“The support and the respect for one another’s processes was there,” Termine says. “We were able to lift each other up when we needed it.”

“I realize how rare it is to have a friend that’s there for you, wants the best for you, and helps you,” Findling says. “We have this special bond.”

Termine (who opted not to return to Binghamton for the fall semester) and Findling (who did return) spoke to Binghamton University Magazine about the road to where they are today, and how their time on campus made it possible.

Q: How often have the two of you been able to see or talk to each other during this busy year?

Jake: We do text often, but it’s been hard to see each other in person. When Jesse was doing American Idol, he wasn’t in New York, and when he got back, my schedule picked up. But the communication never went away. We were always texting and chatting with each other.

Jesse: We’ve been messaging for sure. I think I’ve seen you maybe, five …

Jake: A few times, yeah.

Jesse: He had eight shows a week. We’ve messaged — and we’re still great, close friends.

Q: What were your first impressions of each other after meeting as sophomores?

Jake: As a performer, when you audition for a specific role — or just a show in general — you want to see who your competition is. I remember looking up Jesse on Instagram and thinking: Who is this? I saw his name on the callback list, and I didn’t even know who he was. And then I ended up being Jesse’s understudy! Through that, we got close. And we also have a good friend, Vanessa Pliskow, who acted like a mutual anchor point and we were able to get closer through her. The friendship blossomed naturally from there.

Jesse: I didn’t do any musical theater my first year at Binghamton. Jake had already done a show, so he knew everybody. I had done musical theater in high school, but my first year I was focused on [college], figuring out what I wanted. My second year, I wanted to do something different. I saw that they were doing Anything Goes, and I had done the show in high school. I had played Moonface Martin, so I auditioned for that role. It ended up working out, and I thank God for that, because that’s how I met Jake and Vanessa, and that’s how I met a lot of my musical-theater friends.

Q: In musical theater, you need to be a “triple threat”: singing, dancing, acting. Which is the hardest for you?

Jesse: Dancing. And it’s not because I think that I’m horrible. I’ve never done really hard dancing, but I like to think that I have rhythm. I think if I tried, I might be OK, but I don’t want to embarrass myself, so I don’t know if I’ll ever fully get into it.

Jake: For sure, dancing for me, as well. I actually think I’m pretty good at it. We had to learn tap before Anything Goes, and we’d never done it before.

Jesse: I’m good at tap!

Jake: We picked that up pretty fast. I feel like when push comes to shove, if we’re in a situation and we have to learn a dance, we’re going to learn it. And we’re going to do it well.

Jesse: Exactly!

Q: As roommates in fall 2025, were you discussing short-term projects or goals, or was life day-to-day, class-to-class?

Jake: We always talked about our futures. We were optimistic and kept good vibes and high energy in that apartment. It was a good balance of going to classes during the day, and then at night, Jesse would be singing, or I’d be doing an audition.

Jesse: I think it also worked well, because we both knew we liked singing and acting. I knew that Jake was going to audition for things, and I would have to leave the room for that. And it wasn’t awkward if I said: “Jake, I’m going to sing really loud now.”

Q: What were your reactions that fall to seeing each other pursue Idol and Broadway?

Jesse: My American Idol process actually started all the way back in May, before that fall semester. I was posting [performances] on social media, and somebody from the show found one of my videos. I met up with him on Zoom once in May, and then didn’t hear anything back. So, I kept on messaging him: Can we Zoom again? We reconnected in September, and that was when Jake auditioned for a (Broadway) show. It was so random!

I then learned that I was going to Nashville for the show. Jake was super-supportive — and then he found out he was going to be on Broadway a few weeks later. It all happened so quickly. I was still doing school and singing my audition song for the show (“In the Stars” by Benson Boone) every day.

It’s a process — it’s not easy, and there is an aspect of luck, because obviously everybody who auditions can sing.

Q: Did the audition process affect your fall classes?

Jake: My Death of a Salesman audition came in late November, but I auditioned for Stranger Things on Broadway in late September. Salesman was a very fast process for me. I put myself on tape, and then I was going back and forth with the casting director. After a good three days of communicating and sending in so many materials, I was invited to do an in-person reading with the cast and some of the creative team. They asked: Are you available? Of course I’m available! But I wasn’t really, because it was during finals week. So, I had to miss all my finals. But thankfully, my teachers were understanding, and I was able to make the proper accommodations. The faculty at Binghamton are awesome: They all understood. But in the case that they weren’t understanding, I would have missed my finals — because this [show] was something that I felt like I needed to do.

Jesse: Idol is unusual because the auditions and the first rounds were filmed late in the fall semester (but didn’t air until early 2026). So, it wasn’t getting in the way of school. But I knew the next round — in Hawaii — wouldn’t take place until early in the spring semester. And there’s a chance I could be sent home, but only miss a few days of classes. I decided: I’m going to hope that this works out. I went all in and took the gap semester in the spring. I ended up doing five more weeks of the show.

Q: Jake, you’ve talked in the past about the importance of collaboration, be it on Broadway or in campus productions. What was the Salesman collaboration process like?

Jake: I like to seek opportunities that lead with collaboration, because you get your most honest work through others. Coming into Death of a Salesman, the experience I had with collaborating with other artists was through Binghamton shows. Binghamton prepared me to be open minded and bring the most honest, deep work that I can. When we started Salesman, my director, Joe Mantello — who is amazing — told us to start with a blank canvas, look out for each other, and he encouraged us to fail, because that’s how you grow. I learned so much by just watching and listening, and working off others. The collaborative aspect stayed the same from Binghamton to Broadway. At the end of the day, theater is artists collaborating. That doesn’t change just because the scale of Broadway to college theater is different.

Q: Do you get nervous before a performance? How long does it take for thoughts like “Lionel Richie and Nathan Lane are sitting in front of me” to go away?

Jake: I’ve never been the nervous type. I’m good at channeling any nerves into adrenaline and excitement. Being on Broadway has heightened that. … It’s surreal acting in the Winter Garden Theatre to 1,600 people. There have been acting idols and legendary people who came to see the show. I got to meet them, and that surrealness doesn’t go away. But there’s no sense of being starstruck, because I was in that space for seven months with these amazing, talented people every single day.

Jesse: I got to Nashville and I remember that I could not eat, and I felt like I was going to throw up because I was so nervous. I had just been singing on social media, in musical theater, and I had watched (Idol). Am I actually good? There are all of these amazing singers. I was getting into my own head. 

I was nervous walking into the first audition, but then you’re there and it is what it is. ... I was most nervous hearing the [judges’ feedback]. As the rounds kept going on, I became less nervous because I knew the judges. But the live shows were a different beast! It’s a mental game. You need to make sure you have supportive family and friends.

Q: Any nerves singing the national anthem before a New York Islanders game in April?

Jesse: The only nerves I had for that was forgetting the words! Not because I didn’t know the song; it’s that the song is its own big thing.

Q: Jake, did you ever get tired of hearing the same audition and rehearsal songs from Jesse?

Jake: It’s not an exaggeration to say he sang every night. To be honest, because he was so good, I’d say: “Keep on singing! I’m not going to get annoyed.”

Jesse: I was rehearsing so much and trying different things. I was always like: “Jake, is this bad? Is this good?” I knew he would be honest.

Jake: I felt like an American Idol judge on some days!

Q: Jake, what was it like to attend the Tony Awards? What were the highlights of the Salesman experience?

Jake: Being in that space reaffirmed the hard work that has gone into this and the countless nights asking myself: Am I good enough? It was beautiful being in Radio City Music Hall for a show nominated for nine Tonys. When we won Best Revival, we all sprinted to the stage. I don’t even remember what Nathan Lane said when he accepted the award. I looked out into the audience and thought: “What am I doing here right now?” Then I made eye contact with Daniel Radcliffe in the front row and thought: “That’s Harry Potter! What is going on?” … Every time someone asks about that night, I still stumble on my words.

This has been the experience of a lifetime. Every day was a highlight — I got to be on the Winter Garden stage, living out my dream collaborating with these insanely talented creatives. It’s work, but I don’t consider it work. It’s a gift I was lucky to receive.

Q: Jesse, what were your highlights? What songs would you have performed if you advanced?

Jesse: Being able to go through the experience with my family was special. They were in Nashville, Hawaii, and there for the live shows. It wasn’t just something I went through — it was a family thing. Seeing the reactions from Jake and other friends was a highlight, too.

For the next round, I would’ve sung “New York State of Mind” (by Billy Joel). I posted a video of it on social media. I have no idea what I would’ve sung for Disney Night. There’s a bunch of songs out now that I like, and when I do gigs or have small shows — “Die on This Hill” by Sienna Spiro. Maybe something from Shawn Mendes or Sam Smith. Looking back, I wouldn’t have done anything different on the show. I left it all out there, and I was happy with everything I did.

Q: How would you describe each other’s growth from Anything Goes to Broadway and Idol?

Jesse: Seeing this experience bloom has been special. I was at Jake’s first preview show with some Binghamton friends from musical theater. Jake: Our first show in front of a public audience!

Jake: Our first show in front of a public audience!

Jesse: I was so excited. I’ve seen Broadway shows, but usually musicals. Jake was doing a straight-up play. Having seen him work so hard for this and want it so badly, I think it felt different for me than others. It’s a heavy, sad show he did eight times per week. And he did it so gracefully.

Jake: Jesse has really grown into himself, and I think this was the perfect opportunity for him to learn about who he is and what he’s capable of doing, and understand that he’s there for a reason, because his drive and his passion brought him there. It was such a beautiful process to see from start to finish, from Zooms to my living-room TV. I’m proud of him and excited to see what’s next. I’ll be there every step of the way.

Q: What did you learn from your time at Binghamton that helped you in your success?

Jake: The atmosphere at Binghamton — the students, the teachers, my friends — prepared me mentally and assured me that I could go out on stage and show 1,600 people that I’m meant to do this. That mindset came from Binghamton.

Jesse: I feel like your life really starts when you go to university. All of the lessons that I learned at Binghamton were used by me on the show. But every year I realize that there are also so many resources at Binghamton that I didn’t take advantage of. Binghamton taught me so much — and there’s always more to learn.