Rod is a puppet-played character from the Tony Award winning Broadway musical, Avenue Q. He was originally played on Broadway by puppeteer John Tartaglia, but is currently played by Howie Michael Smith. Rod is an investment banker, and he is a conservative Republican. Rod and Tartaglia also appeared alongside Michael Arden, Laura Benanti, Rosie O’Donnell, Ben Vereen and other Broadway superstars in a World AIDS Day benefit concert of Pippin held at the Manhattan Theatre on November 29th, 2004. Rod played "The Head".