In this episode, Darion and Alana get personal about what it means to be the only one in your family pursuing a career in theater. From parents’ first reactions to the reality of navigating family gatherings where theater isn’t always understood, they share honest stories about support, confusion, and everything in between. Together, they reflect on how family members show up (or don’t) in theater spaces, and the balance of honoring your craft while still belonging to a family that lives outside the arts.

In this episode, Darion and Alana take it all the way back to their high school theater days—where the love of the stage (and plenty of backstage drama) first began. Darion shares how coming from the world of choir opened the door to discovering musical theater, while Alana reflects on always dreaming of being a star from day one. Together, they swap stories about cast drama, embarrassing mishaps, and the messy, chaos of being young theater kids. It’s a nostalgic, hilarious trip down memory lane filled with laughter, lessons, and the reminder of just how far they’ve come since those high school spotlights.

This week on Into the Industry, hosts Darion Matthews and Alana Knobel welcome Broadway actors Hannah Solow, Julian Manjerico, and Tony Macht. The conversation explores their work in the acclaimed production Oh, Mary!, as well as the personal and professional journeys that brought them to the Broadway stage. Together, they reflect on the challenges and opportunities of building a career in New York City, the lessons learned along the way, and other projects that have shaped their paths as artists.