Boston Magazine has an article this month about all the performing arts celebrities who hail from Newton. I never heard of a lot of the people but it’s still a fun read. The author links Newton’s celebrities with the schools and the Office for Cultural Affairs, with a well-deserved shout out to Linda Plaut. 

Here’s an excerpt:

The country is full of affluent towns and suburbs where no one ever makes it to the red carpet, let alone forms a small army of stars. “Newton is a community that fosters high expectations of its students and instills in them the idea that it’s not only okay to ‘dream big,’ but that it’s actually praiseworthy,” Honeyman says. “The fact that students can look out there and see former graduates with successful careers in the arts going back generations makes it seem that much more possible.”

I’ve wondered about the proportion of famous people from Newton compared to other communities ever since I wrote Legendary Locals of Newton. Does Newton do more to promote the arts than other wealthy communities? Do we push success more?