TICKETS: 813.229.STAR (7827) • STRAZCENTER.ORG 17
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.
BILL CUSICK (Piano) Since moving to
Florida, Cusick has worked as a musical
director at the Showboat Dinner Theatre,
Bartke’s Dinner Theatre, the Show Palace
Dinner Theatre, Angel Cabaret Theatre,
almost every community theater in Pinellas
County, and various high schools. He
has worked with such actors as Donald
O’Connor, David Naughton (star of the
movie An American Werewolf in London
and the comedy sitcom My Sister Sam),
big band singer and soloist Kaye Stevens,
opera singer Georgio Tozzi and composer/
lyricist Marvin Hamlisch. Cusick was also
voted Favorite Musical Director seven
times by the Grapevine Theater Publication.
Presently, Bill teaches voice and piano at
the Marcia P. Hoffman Performing Arts
Institute in Clearwater, co-teaches their
Summer Camp Program, and accompanies
the Ruth Eckerd Hall Children’s Choir,
Center Stage Choir and Clearwater Chorus.
MICHAEL RAABE (Musical Director) 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
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/michaelraabe.com