Buffalo Grove's Jonah Rawitz heading into third Marriott production

Buffalo Grove's Jonah Rawitz won't start high school for a couple more months, but already he's starred in some of the most-acclaimed suburban musicals of the last couple years.

In fact, this week he started previews for his third Marriott Theatre production, the world premiere of "Hero."

That's fitting in that Rawitz got his professional start at Marriott when he was only 10. He played brave young Gavroche in "Les Miserables."

"My teacher told me about the auditions at Marriott," Rawitz explains. "I had only been in one other show before I tried out, a community theater production of 'Oklahoma!'"

It was just the beginning. He went on to star in "A Christmas Carol" at Marriott, "Sweeney Todd" at Drury Lane Oakbrook and "Turn of the Century" at Goodman Theatre.

That's quite a resume for a teen, soon to be a freshman at Stevenson High School.

"I did grow up in a theater family," Rawitz admits. "My mom (director Lauren Rawitz) and grandpa are very involved in theater. And all of my siblings are actors. And that made me want to do it. But I was never pushed."

While it's obvious Rawitz enjoys acting, it's not the only thing he likes to do.

When he isn't in rehearsal or onstage performing, Rawitz writes songs, records them and puts them on his own YouTube channel, jrawitz22. He also makes short films with his friends. And he enjoys sports and wants to play basketball on the team next year in high school.

Maybe the range of Rawitz's interests explains his success as an actor. He acts because it's fun.

In "Hero," Rawitz plays Nate, the younger brother of the main character's best friend. "Hero" is a musical set in a comic book store. Rawitz's character spends a lot of time hanging out in the store, playing chess.

"The show is about all the people who come into the store," Rawitz says, "and who change the main character's life. There is more that happens, but I don't want to give too much away."