Henry Winkler is all too aware his gentle family film, "A Plumm Summer," "is up against very stiff competition" amid the flashy, big budget fare hitting theaters this spring. "What works for this story is that it's a true story, that it's allowed to be emotional, and that the kids are not talked down to, but allowed to go on this adventure," he says.

Henry plays the star of a kiddie show whose world is turned upside down when his popular frog marionette gets stolen — a mystery juxtaposed with the story of a pair of brothers growing up amid family turmoil in the summer of '68. William Baldwin also stars.

Henry's real-life counterpart "was a very thoughtful, educated, dear man who had the top-rated children's show in Montana for 22 years," he notes. As for playing him, "My first thought I always think is, 'I can't act anymore.' I can't figure out how to do this.'" He wound up giving a funny, poignant portrayal in the feature going into limited release Friday (April 25).

Meanwhile, Henry plays the leader of a sexaholic group in Greg Grunberg's recently completed "Group Sex" comedy film. He's also "on pins and needles" awaiting a greenlight for "Sit Down, Shut Up" — the prospective Fox animated series about teachers too caught up in themselves to care about their students — that finds him back in cahoots with "Arrested Development" creator Mitch Hurwitz and co-stars Jason Bateman and Will Arnett.

And Henry's about to set off on a national tour for his 14th Hank Zipzer kids' book, "The Life of Me." After that, he'll tour the U.K., where the first six of his and co-author Lin Oliver's hit book series about a hapless struggling student are going into release. He'll be visiting schools there, as well as here at home, and talking to students about his own journey from dyslexic underachiever to superstar TV icon/producer/director/author/husband and dad. "I'll tell them, 'I was in the bottom 3 percent of the country academically. If I can do this, you can.'"

CHOICE VOICE: What a treat it's bound to be when the Society of Singers (SOS) bestows lifetime achievement honors on Andy Williams, with its 17th Annual ELLA Award. The beloved crooner tells us he's had some favorite clips pulled from his vintage NBC variety show to share with the crowd that will be on hand May 19 at the Beverly Hilton, including one of himself and Ella Fitzgerald duetting, another "with me and Eddie Fisher and Bobby Darin singing 'Do-Re-Me,' and one with Judy Garland and I together."

The event will be emceed by Steve Lawrence, with Johnny Mathis, Glen Campbell, Petula Clark and Barry Manilow performing.

Notes Andy, "This probably means more to me than any other award, because it's from my peers."

The ELLA Award event also draws attention to charitable activities of the SOS, which is led by President and CEO Jerry Sharell.

Andy keeps a full schedule of shows at his theater in Branson, Mo. — he'll be performing a summer show with Ann-Margret there beginning in June — but says he's through with touring now. Last Christmas season was the last one he'll spend on the road, insists the performer whose name has been synonymous with the holidays. Instead, he'll stick to Missouri and let people come to him. "It's absolutely gorgeous with snow, ice skating … children all around … and the music at Christmas is so beautiful."

THE INSIDE TRACK: Superhot jazz saxophonist/singer Mindi Abair says she was intent on making the follow-up to her 2006 "Life Less Ordinary" album — that debuted No. 1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart — her way. "To me that means I'm not fearful of the record industry, of where music is headed," says Abair, who wrote the 11 tunes and sings on half of her new Peak Records "Stars" CD due out May 6. "I think some people are running scared, giving people what they want to hear and buy. I didn't want to make a safe record. I wanted to make what was in my heart, so whether I sell one record or millions, I said what I wanted to. This CD is such a reflection of what I go through on a daily basis and what the world brings to my life. Every song is autobiographical in a way."

Abair is kicking off her nationwide tour May 1 with a concert in Las Vegas to be simulcast on DeepRockDrive.com. "People from all over the world can see it live, make requests, and we can interact with them in real time. I tell you technology is the way to go. Music has become more and more a community, and now it's becoming this interactive thing." She adds the plan is to tape the DeepRockDrive concert for DVD release. Abair's tour is already booked through November. For more info, go to www.mindiabair.com.

THE BIG SCREEN SEEN: "It's not gimmicky. It really gives you a feeling of immersion." So says Brendan Fraser, talking about his forthcoming "Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D" — the July-release rendering of Jules Verne's classic "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Fraser is so high on the technology used for the flick, he believes, "It's going to set a new standard in cinema. My prediction is that this is the future of the way things are going to go in film — and the good news is, in order to get the full experience, you have to go to the theater."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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