Another Court Matchup for Iverson?

Looks like Allen Iverson might get his day in court . . . again. A federal judge ruled Monday that yet another Washington-nightclub-beatdown lawsuit against the Denver Nuggets superstar can proceed to the next level.

This is the case in which a local guy claims that he was roughed up in 2004 by an Iverson security guard at Zanzibar on the Waterfront. (Not to be confused, mind you, with the other local guy who won $260K from the former Hoya last year for his claim that he was roughed up by Iverson's entourage at downtown Eyebar in 2005. Totally separate nights.)

Iverson says he has no memory of going to Zanzibar or taking security that night; he asked to have the case tossed. But U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly denied the motion, noting a club manager's deposition that Iverson did show up -- with "four big guys that looked like NFL linemen, and they made it clear that no one was going to get near Allen Iverson without their permission."

Still, the judge sounded unimpressed with the claims of Gregory Broady, who said in the suit that a punch in the face left him with a "brain bleed." She noted that the plaintiff still hadn't proved he was punched by an Iverson employee and gave him until the end of the month to make a better case.

An Eisenhower Overture

Monday's preview of the Kennedy Center's renovated Eisenhower Theater -- which formally reopens Oct. 2 -- included a clever surprise for the 120 guests dining on the theater stage: The bouquet centerpieces were suddenly whisked to the rafters, and a curtain rose to reveal an orchestra. Then Dorothy Hamill, Jane Alexander, Christine Ebersole , the dance group Urban Bush Women and others took the stage for a short retrospective of the 37-year-old theater's greatest hits.

One more surprise: Two miniature birthday cakes for multimillionaire patrons Wayne and Catherine Reynolds, born one year and one day apart; he turned 52 Monday; she was 51 yesterday. The crowd ( Susan Eisenhower, Colin Powell, Jim Johnson, Wolf Blitzer, Trent Lott) broke into a fractured version of "Happy Birthday" -- so lame that everyone laughed at themselves. "None of you are getting hired for the chorus," joked KenCen president Michael Kaiser .

Hey, Isn't That . . . ?

· Nigel Barker-- yes, as in "noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker," a stalwart on Tyra 's"America's Next Top Model" judging panel -- showing up at the Capitol yesterday to speak at a Humane Society of the United States event against Canada's commercial seal hunt. A lot of double takes from closet reality-TV fans as he walked through the halls (Ted Baker suit, Paul Smith tie, Etro shirt, marvelous tan).

End Quote

"When they were 3, we'd wake up in the morning and Barbara would already be sitting at the coffee table, cutting and pasting, which Jenna, with fewer fine motor skills, never did. She'd hold the scissors upside down."

-- Laura Bush , sharing one of those embarrassing family stories in October's Harper's Bazaar.