TICKETS: 813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG 15
CODY CARLSON (u/s for
Frankie, Jinx), is excited to
become an “Honorary Plaid”
and to work with such an
amazingly talented group of
people. Most recently, he
was nominated for a Theatre
Tampa Bay Award for Most Outstanding
Actor in a musical for Avenue Q (Nicky/
Trekkie) at Stageworks. Other credits include
Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas) at New Tampa
Players, Spring Awakening (Hanchen) with
mad Theatre, and Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat (Joseph) with
Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center.
Cody comes from a very supportive (yet very
loud) Italian family, and he thanks them for
always believing in him and giving him the
tools to craft his art.
STEVEN FLAA (Director) is happy to
return to The Straz to direct Forever Plaid for
the fourth time. He also played Sparky here
in the original production, as well as in 1996
and 2001 – as well as the Chicago production
and across Florida. Other directorial credits
include The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee at American Stage in the Park
and at Ozark Actor’s Theatre in Rolla, Mo.,
Man Of La Mancha at Arkansas Shakespeare
Theatre in Conway, Fiddler On The Roof and
The Music Man at the Des Moines Playhouse
in Iowa, Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical, Guys
& Dolls, Crazy For You and Suds: The
Rocking ‘60s Musical Soap Opera at the
Show Palace in Hudson, Fla., Little Shop Of
Horrors, The Big Bang, Souvenir, Altar Boyz
and A Marvelous Party at American Stage and
fourteen other productions of Forever Plaid
across Florida. Steven has been a member of
Actors Equity for over thirty years.
MICHAEL RAABE (Musical Director/
Piano) is thrilled be back in the Jaeb! He
is the resident Music Director at freeFall
Theatre where he did new arrangements for
last season’s “80’s intergalactic-rock” take on
The Pirates Of Penzance and composed new
music for Peter Pan. Other musical merriment
includes Disenchanted! (Off Broadway),
Man of La Mancha (Orlando Shakes),
American Stage In The Park, Theatrezone,
and Busch Gardens. A true crooner at heart
(with crazy retro-tastic mashups), Michael’s
played to sold out houses swingin’ with Sara
DelBeato and the band Retrotastic! Much
love to my wonderful family and to James,
my dear husband! michaelraabe.com
IRVING GOLDBERG (Bass) Irv lives
and plays out of Clearwater and is pleased to
return to The Straz where he has performed
with The Patel Conservatory, The Tampa
Bay Symphony, and the comedy musical
Disenchanted. His Broadway tour credits
include Chicago, Annie, The Producers,
Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone,
Cinderella and Sweet Charity. He has played
with such notables as Barry Manilow,
Bernadette Peters, Amy Grant, ELO, The
Little River Band, Cirque de Soleil, Alan
Parsons and he was principal bass with the
Charlotte Symphony of Punta Gorda for eight
years.
JOSEPH P. OSHRY (Lighting Designer) is
glad to be returning to the Jaeb Theater to light
Forever Plaid. Since 1986, he has designed
lighting for over ve hundred and sixty
productions with such organizations as Asolo
Rep, Palm Beach Dramaworks, Maltz-Jupiter
Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre,
Palm Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, New
Orleans Opera, Sarasota International Dance
Festival, Ballet Eddy Toussaint USA and the
Interlochen Dance Ensemble in Michigan.
Joseph has received two Individual Artist
Fellowships from the Florida Division of
Cultural Affairs and is a two-time recipient of
the Theatre Tampa Bay award for outstanding
lighting design. Further, he serves on the
Advisory Board of Tampa Repertory Theatre.
He is also a member of United Scenic Artists
Local 829 New York and of IATSE Local
412 Sarasota. Joseph lives in Bradenton with
his wife Dee, and he encourages you to visit
his website: josephoshry.com.
CLAREANN DESPAIN (General
Manager) Around the Straz, Clareann is
known for putting together the annual open
house and Straz! Live in the Park as well as
stage managing Next Generation Ballet’s
Nutcracker. Her next directing project,
Green Day’s American Idiot, opens in the
Jaeb Theater in April. Clareann holds a
PhD in dramatic arts from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. As adjunct faculty
at the Ybor City campus of Hillsborough
/STRAZCENTER.ORG
/michaelraabe.com
/josephoshry.com