In 2003, Green Bay native Tony Shalhoub won his first of four Emmy Awards for his title role in the TV series “Monk.” But his stage career started 31 years prior, at the East High School auditorium.

Every spring, a tiny but celebratory ritual occurs in the heart of Manhattan’s Turtle Bay, where residents gather in a green square to celebrate Katharine Hepburn’s birthday. It is not just a tribute ...