- Their former teachers, Diana Rollo and Tammy Meyers, praised their talents and will attend their Broadway performances in New York City this weekend.
- Two Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) graduates are making their Broadway debuts at the same time, bringing a hometown connection to New York City's theater district.
Two Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) graduates are making their Broadway debuts at the same time, bringing a hometown connection to New York City’s theater district.
According to an ACPS release, Chrissy Metz, a 2001 Buchholz High School graduate, is appearing as Angelique in the Broadway musical “& Juliet.” Terrence Williams Jr., a 2015 Eastside High School graduate, is appearing in “Titanique, the Musical,” where he performs several roles, including the prominent supporting role of Victor Garber.
The two performers share another connection: Diana Rollo, Alachua County Public Schools’ fine arts supervisor, was their choral teacher during their high school years. Rollo remains in contact with both former students.
“I could definitely tell they both had something special,” said Rollo in the release. “When you see a kid with a special talent, it’s the teacher’s job to guide them and steer them in the right direction, to give them opportunities that will give them that love of performing and the confidence to keep going.”
Metz, who earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role as Kate Pearson on NBC’s “This Is Us,” recently recognized Rollo during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
“Ms. Rollo, she was my choral teacher, she’s the best, she changed my life,” Metz told host Jimmy Fallon.
Watch Metz’s appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”
Metz has appeared in numerous television series and films since “This Is Us,” which ran for six seasons. Her recent credits include the Netflix series “The Hunting Wives,” and she is set to appear in the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Nocturne.”
Williams began building his professional career while studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design, performing in film and television productions as well as on stages in the United States and abroad. A year after graduating, he was cast in the off-Broadway productions of “Titanique” and “Gollum Owned a Tropic Smoothie.”
Williams’ former Eastside theater teacher, Tammy Meyers, said his success comes as no surprise.
“When I put on ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,’ he was my Charlie Brown,” said Meyers in the release. “He’s always been a standout, commanding the stage, owning the role, and with a phenomenal voice.”
Rollo and Meyers will travel to New York City this weekend to see their former students perform on Broadway. The teachers have been invited backstage for both productions.
“I’m so happy, they have succeeded and built these amazing careers for themselves doing something they love,” Rollo said. “There’s just such an immense sense of pride in what they’ve accomplished.”
Metz and Williams join a growing list of Alachua County Public Schools graduates who have performed on Broadway.
Gainesville High School alumna Alana Pollard most recently appeared as Jessica Hahn in the Elton John musical “Tammy Faye” in 2024. Eastside graduate Sissy Bell performed in the Broadway productions of “Anastasia” from 2017 to 2019 and “Tootsie” from 2019 to 2020.