Is there anything more satisfying than when two forces of nature clash? That's precisely what happened last night at the American Theatre Wing's annual gala, and the showdown did not disappoint.

In one corner, Eileen Rand, producer of the long-suffering Bombshell. In the other, Miriam Abramson, head of the Theatre Wing and a woman who was not happy to have the Broadway-bound team crash her shindig. (Not that we blame her: between cash-strapped Rand, lecherous director Derek Wills, and woman-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown Julia Houston, the potential for combustion was off the charts.)

But the merry band of misfits - including composer Tom Levitt and ousted ingenue Ivy Lynn - commandeered the event to showcase a showstopper, "(They Just Keep) Moving the Line"... and by all accounts, the only combustion resulted in joyful fireworks. Houston brilliantly positioned the impromptu tune as a tribute to Abramson, leaving the Theatre District doyenne unable to do anything but smile.

We hear the U.S. Attorney's wife was also smiling, and as of this morning, Bombshell is cleared to resume rehearsals - but not for public consumption. It's two steps forward, one step back for this behemoth!