Schaumburg native makes the most of modeling, comedy career

Nikki Huber admits she's always had a little bit of “a hyper personality.”

Let's see if the resume of this 2004 Schaumburg High School graduate supports that claim:

Ÿ She makes TV and Web commercials.

Ÿ She acts in network TV shows. (She has appeared in “CSI: New York” and the Chicago-based series “The Playboy Club.”)

Ÿ She models.

Ÿ She hosts the half-time shows for the Chicago Slaughter indoor football games at the Sears Centre.

Ÿ She runs marathons for charities.

Ÿ She reigns as the current Miss Earth Illinois. (Yes, there is a Miss Earth Illinois.)

Ÿ She presents award show trophies (such as the recent Chicago Film Critics Awards where she gave trophies to James Earl Jones, Dennis Farina and Jason Segel).

Yep, we'd have to agree.

Schaumburg native Nikki Huber has a bit of a hyper personality.

“It takes a lot to keep me amused,” she said. “I think that performing, singing, dancing and acting gave me an outlet to really focus my energies and enabled me to become who I am.”

The best way to describe Nikki Huber might well be a work in progress.That work began when Huber, 11, signed up to be in the musical #8220;Annie,#8221; the first production mounted by the Schaumburg on Stage theater group under the auspices of Dorothy's Dancing Unlimited.#8220;That experience made me realize that I had a funny bone,#8221; Huber said.Her bone was funny enough to motivate Huber, at 14, to enroll at the Arlington Heights campus of The Second City to learn comedy. She was one of only two 19-year-olds to be accepted into the Second City's conservatory program.Huber identified comic timing as her strong suit, #8220;but I never even knew I had that until I went to Second City.#8221;

But how did a Columbia College graduate with a B.A. in acting wind up in the world of beauty pageants?

Huber said that in her senior year of high school, she received a letter asking her to compete for Miss Teen USA.

Her response: Why not?

#8220;I was the quirky theater girl, slightly tomboy with hand-me-downs from my older brothers (Ian and Jesse),#8221; Huber said. #8220;This was out of my element. But then I thought, what's the difference between this and other forms of acting?#8221;

Huber took the pageants as a challenge.

#8220;There is an empowering factor to pageants,#8221; she said. #8220;It's a chance to show people you don't just have to be an object. I could use my comic timing and other things I learned from Second City to show them that.#8221;

Is there a trick to #8220;acting#8221; for a competitive pageant? She says yes.

#8220;They want a sort of a cookie-cutter thing,#8221; she explained. #8220;You need to give them (judges) a cookie-cutter personality without sacrificing who you are. It takes a lot of effort to stay true to who you are.#8221;

Huber said competing in pageants has given her the confidence to be daring in other parts of life.

So far, Huber's toughest job as an actress was playing a #8220;fem-bot#8221; for a tequila commercial.

#8220;I had to speak in a monotone,#8221; Huber said. #8220;All of my body movements had to reflect the robotic character while I was approaching a guy. My voice sounded like a GPS. My joke on the set was that I was trying to flirt with Data from #8216;Star Trek'.#8221;

So, was there any particular teacher or mentor who stands out as someone who motivated or changed young Huber's direction in life?

#8220;I would definitely say Peggy Gire,#8221; Huber said.

Without Gire, a retired music instructor in Schaumburg Dist. 54 #8212; and, we must confess, spouse of a certain Daily Herald film critic #8212; Huber said she #8220;would never have discovered the hidden talent and musical voice that I had. I would have had no clue.#8221;

Huber remembered that when she was preparing for #8220;Annie#8221; at Schaumburg on Stage, the idea of taking a mandatory musical theater class intimidated her to tears.

#8220;I had only done dance up until then, and I cried in the car #8216;I can't do this!'#8221; Huber said. #8220;Mrs. Gire helped me find my voice, and from that moment on, I haven't shut up.#8221;

#376; Dann Gire and Jamie Sotonoff are always looking for suburban people in showbiz. If you know of someone who would make a good feature, send a note to dgire@dailyherald.com and jsotonoff@dailyherald.com.

Sketchy

You can catch Schaumburg High School alum and Second City graduate Nikki Huber in an upcoming comedy sketch program titled “Taco Flavored Eggrolls: It Takes Juan to Know Wong: A Colored Commentary” at Chicago's Prop Theater beginning Feb. 17. The show also features Northwest suburban comics Lupe Sanchez of Roselle and Angie Napa of Elk Grove Village. For times and ticket information, visit www.<a href="http://propthtr.org">propthtr.org</a>.