Aspiring actors usually head for Broadway or Hollywood and hope some director will notice them. Pam Sommerfield left London for Philadelphia — where she created her own unique theatrical niche.

In keeping with its tradition of skewering local sacred cows, Philadelphia Magazine this month produced a special section on overrated local icons. The puncturing of Ed Rendell particularly caught my eye.

The editors of a high school paper in Bucks County have discovered that adults don’t really know what they’re doing. Fortunately, a solution to their quandary is at hand. My cousin Andy tried it more than 40 years ago, with inspiring results.

Upset by an opera? Worried about what folks are saying about you over the Internet? Have we got good news for you!

The American small town continues to serve as a convenient artistic shorthand for conformity and drudgery. But the isolated Main Street world that Sinclair Lewis lampooned was disappearing even as his Main Street rolled off the presses. Is it time to update the stereotype?

I tried to ignore the soprano Rita Hunter’s gigantic girth and focus on her voice. So did everyone else at the Met that night. It just wasn’t possible.

Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock was rejected resoundingly in 1954 but become a resounding hit in 1955. What on earth caused such a dramatic shift in popular music tastes in one short year? I think I’ve found the answer.

Jill Abramson, the first female executive editor of the New York Times, was abruptly fired two weeks ago after just 32 months on the job. The publisher said her management style was too pushy and abrasive. That style worked just fine for Abe Rosenthal, among many other great male editors.

Last month I issued a call for writers and artists to concoct some nonviolent way to prevent the crisis in Ukraine from escalating into World War III. I’m happy to report that my prayers have been answered — not by any creative types, but by an oligarch.

The Supreme Court’s decision on public prayer last week could usher in a new era of public piety. Or it could usher in a new era of live entertainment in small towns.