Performer coming home a '60s legend

In showbiz, Nicholas Brooks says, careers hit high and low notes. Early last year, his was somewhere in the middle.

"I was at a crossroads, and there weren't a whole lot of things happening," the former Batavia man says. "A few commercial jingles and other things here and there, but nothing substantial."

Then, a friend suggested the singer/songwriter check out a performance of "Direct from Las Vegas … The Rat Pack" on the Las Vegas strip. The friend had heard the performer portraying legendary Sammy Davis Jr. was retiring. Maybe it was worth a shot.

"I was like, 'Eh, playing somebody else? I'm not sure about that,' " Brooks, 27, recalled. "Then I saw the show and absolutely fell head-over-heels in love with it."

The show's producers knew Brooks' name from his performing in Vegas for the past five or six years. They arranged a couple auditions and, next thing Brooks knew, he was performing nightly on the strip to rave reviews and enthusiastic audiences.

So much for career ruts.

Next month, the show will take Brooks to Paris for a monthlong engagement.

On Wednesday, Brooks' third CD, "Nicholas Brooks Sings Sammy Davis Jr." hits the streets.

And two days later, on Friday, he returns to the area to perform "The Rat Pack" at Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin.

The show, which attempts to re-create 1960s-era performances of Davis, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, will reunite Brooks with hundreds of family and friends.

The graduate of Batavia High School and Northern Illinois University took an hour out of his schedule recently to bring Daily Herald readers up to speed on his life and career. Below are excerpts from the interview, with some answers edited for length and clarity.

Q. So, tell everyone back home what you've been up to.

A. I have been nonstop performing, recording and being a Vegas headliner. At 27, I've been really blessed and fortunate to have had a lot of great things happen in my career.

Portraying Sammy Davis Jr. has just been a dream come true. It's something different than I have done before. The four years prior, I was a soul singer -- and I still am a soul singer -- but I pretty much have identified with just me and my own vocal styling, which has earned some really great recognition out here (in Vegas). My music plays on the radio some of the time, and there are TV appearances and whatnot.

The greatest things I will say about being a Vegas performer is the mentoring, which has come from some really high-profile people. I've gotten the chance to spend some time and talk with Barry Manilow and Earth, Wind & Fire and Michael Bolton. I've shared hors d'oeuvres with Kelly Clarkson and Nick Lachey. There's a cool aspect of it, but also it's been just very educational to be around these people who are where I would like to be.

Q. How did you train to portray Sammy?

A. One of the things I did was work with a Broadway choreographer, Ben Lokey. He was in (Michael Jackson's) "Thriller" video and has just had a lot of high-profile stuff, not to mention being a Broadway dancer and choreographer in Hollywood. I was lucky to be able to work with him.

When I took on this new show, I took on a new diet -- and I'm running about 25 to 30 miles a week. So I've dropped weight. I've always been a small guy, about 5 foot 8 inches, about 160 pounds, which has helped me look more like Sammy. He was quite a small guy. I say jokingly that this is the only part I've played where I'm almost too tall to play.

Another thing, I've read his books. I think it's important to understand and get in the head of the person you're portraying. It's not just being able to copy looks or sound. It's how they gesture, their posture. … My makeup definitely makes me look like I'm in my 40s. I wear a fake mustache, glasses and lot of bling, because Sammy was the first person to wear bling on every finger.

Q. Do you ever feel like you are him?

A. You know what? Obviously, those are incredible shoes to fill. I feel that I always do my best, but I'll say this much in a respectful way: Due to my education of Sammy, I really do feel the spirit of him when I perform.

Q. What's been key to your success?

A. On a sensitive side so to speak, it's just my desire -- my sole desire -- to perform in front of people. And I look for the opportunity as much as I can to be a performer in front of people, through a lot of hard work, prayer, dedication and some great people around me, famous and not. My family are my biggest fans and also are instrumental in my career. I've just been the product of a lot of love and an internal thirst to be a performer and a man of the people.

Q. How has success affected your personal life?

A. The thing I say is you have to be married to this business in order to be successful. Unfortunately, that means your personal life takes a back seat a lot of the time. When I do have the free time, out here in Las Vegas, I have a pretty big social life. However, some of that is networking and it is for business purposes.

Q. What will it be like performing at home?

A. It's going to be a dream come true. I can tell you this much: What means so much to me as a performer is having a home base, a hometown. People still keep up with me, and half of that audience perhaps will be people who have known me since I was a little boy. My classmates, teachers, the mayor. It just means so much to me that they would still be interested in me and support me the way they do. I love performing in front of people anyway, but when it's people I know that have given me so much love, that really is the icing on the cake.

Q. Where do you see this all going?

A. I see going more toward being an international recording artist, a solo artist, and just getting on that type of fame and name recognition. They actually are working on "The Rat Pack" going on Broadway in the next couple years, and I've always wanted to be a Broadway actor.

Later in life, in my 40s, I plan on running for office. I adore politics and was raised around it. I've always wanted to be a public servant in politics, so that is something I'm very passionate about and very much plan on doing in my home state in the 2020s.

I've served on the musical stage, and I'd love to serve the people in terms of the public political arena.

Q. Got a political party?

A. (Laughs) I do, but I've learned not to speak on that.

Sunday spotlight

A long look at local newsmakers

Nicholas Brooks

Age: 27

Lives in: Las Vegas

Family: Single, no children

Hobbies: Long-distance running, attending and hosting parties, watching movies

Maybe you didn't know: "I'm a huge fan of '80s movies and music. People jokingly say when they look at my DVD collection, 'Gosh, Nicholas, do you, like, have anything that's current?'"

A record everyone should hear: Earth, Wind & Fire "Greatest Hits Live" (Rhino, 1996). "Hands-down. The music live is so amazing, I can't get enough of it."

If you go

What: "Direct from Las Vegas … The Rat Pack" featuring former Batavia man Nicholas Brooks as Sammy Davis Jr.

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin

Tickets: $30 to $55

Call: (847) 931-5900 or visit www.NicholasBrooks.com