THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: August 27- September 2

Christopher Sieber, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Charlotte d'Amboise & Bebe Neuwirth. Photo Credit: Monica Simoes

On Saturday, August 27, 2011, the internationally acclaimed revival of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse's Tony Award-winning musical CHICAGO celebrated another major milestone when it became the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, surpassing A Chorus Line with a total of 6,138 performances. The revival of CHICAGO began its journey to becoming an international, billion-dollar stage success in the summer of 1996.For more photos from the celebration, click here.

Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

On Friday, August 26, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mario Cantone, Scott Adsit, Joy Behar, Tovah Feldshuh, Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel teamed up for tow special edition performances of Celebrity Autobiography at Guild Hall in the Hamptons. As seen on Bravo TV, audiences enjoyed a night of non-stop laughter as they experienced a variety of jaw-dropping vignettes inspired and torn straight from the pages of the most unforgettable celebrity tell-alls. For more photos from the performance, click here.

HAIR Tribe. Photo Credit: Kevin Thomas Garcia

Monday night marked the 300th performnce for the national tour of HAIR, now performing at Broadways St. James Theatre. The Tony Award-winning revival of HAIR kicked of its first national tour at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on October 28, 2010 (following a preview engagement in New Haven, CT) and played 20 cities around the country before heading back to Broadway for a limited "Summer of Love" run at the St. James Theatre (246 West 44th Street). Click here for more photos from the milestone event.

Kevin Ligon, Aaron Galligan Stierle. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Principal cast changes were announced thisweek for the Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the longest-running show in Broadway history. Three principal performers, all new to PHANTOM, will be joining the company over the course of the Labor Day holiday weekend. Opera leading man Christian Šebek will be making his Broadway debut as the vain tenor Piangi beginning Friday, September 2. Broadway veterans Aaron Galligan-Stierle and Kevin Ligon will be assuming the roles of Monsieurs André and Firmin, the Managers of the Opera Populaire, beginning Monday, September 5. Click here for more photos of the new cast in action!

Audra McDonald and Company. Photo Credit: Michael J. Lutch

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) opened its 2011-12 season with The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin tonight, August 31. The adaptation by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks and Obie Award-winning composer Diedre L. Murray, directed by A.R.T. Artistic Director Diane Paulus, with choreography by Ronald K. Brown, on August 17. The production will begin previews at the Richard Rogers Theatre on December 17, 2011 in anticipation of a January 12, 2012 Broadway opening. Click here for additional production shots from the show.

Matt McGrath and Jason Wooten. Photo Credit: Henry DiRocco

Matt McGrath (Cabaret, The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets) leads The Old Globe's production of Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show as Frank ‘N' Furter. Oanh Nguyen directs the musical with book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien, choreography by JT Horensteinand music direction by Mike Wilkins. Click here for more publicity shots from the production.

Holly Davis, Alena Watters, Kimberly Marable, and Lael Van Keuren. Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski

The 2011 edition of the annual Carols for a Cure album is now in the works. This highly anticipated annual holiday release features casts from the current Broadway line-up of shows performing new and traditional holiday music. This week, the cast of SISTER ACT was among the shows in the studio at work. Check out fullcoverage of the event here!

Andrew Keenan-Bolger & Jeremy Jordan. Photo Credit: Walter McBride

Paper Mill Playhouse's premiere of Disney's Newsies delivered their first performance preview to the press yesterday, September 1. In Newsies, revolutionary newsie Jack Kelly will be portrayed by Jeremy Jordan of Broadway's West Side Story and Rock of Ages. Tony® Award nominee John Dossett will play newspaper giant Joseph Pulitzer. The show begins performances on Thursday, September 15. The official press opening is scheduled for Sunday, September 25. Check out full coverage of the event here!

John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. © Kika Press/ZUMAPRESS.com

Roman Polanski's upcoming God of Carnage features John C. Reilly, Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz in the movie version of Yasmina Reva's Tony-winning play. The film just debuted this summer at the Venice Film Festival (August 31- September 10) and will open the New York Film Festival on September 30. It's due to hit movie theatres in the United States on November 18, 2011. Click here for more photos from the premiere!