FIRST OFF . . .

A New York gala celebrating the 5,000th performance of “A Chorus Line” and its creator, the late Michael Bennett, turned into a slugfest when producer Joe Papp and the show’s co-author, James Kirkwood, started throwing punches and cursing each other. Newsday reported that Kirkwood complained to Papp at a party after the show about Papp’s failure to mention Kirkwood and songwriter Marvin Hamlisch during an impromptu speech Papp had made about “Chorus Line” earlier in the evening. Papp reportedly blanched and offered an obscene reply. Punches were thrown (Newsday said Papp launched the first fist) before the men were separated. Each blamed the other for the fight.