\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
freeFall Theatre launches 2026 with\u00a0Himself and Nora, Jonathan Brielle\u2019s romantic musical about James Joyce and Nora Barnacle, running January 30 through March 8. The show traces the couple\u2019s passionate, complicated 37\u2011year relationship through a score that blends Irish folk influences, pub songs, and contemporary musical\u2011theatre ballads.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
Director Eric Davis was immediately drawn to the musical\u2019s sound and spirit. \u201cThe score is a major entry point for this piece. It’s very tuneful and harkens to many traditions of Celtic and musical theatre music while also creating a unique voice for the show that is all its own,\u201d he said. \u201cBeyond the music, the playful style of the dialogue and the way it explores the relationship between the enigmatic James Joyce and his muse, Nora Barnacle seemed a perfect fit as a type of lesser-known musicals we often like to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n
freeFall\u2019s commitment to rediscovering overlooked works made the piece feel inevitable. \u201cHimself and Nora is an example of one of these \u2018hidden gems\u2019 that is hard to believe isn’t more well-known,\u201d Davis said. \u201cIt’s truly a captivating evening of musical theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Previews:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/HandN4.jpg\" "\\"Previews:")
The production embraces the emotional sweep of Joyce and Barnacle\u2019s life together. \u201cWhile the great challenges they faced are deftly explored, the great majority of the evening is devoted to celebrating the depth of their love and these funny and dynamic characters who were at the heart of modernism in literature,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n
Robert Teasdale returns to freeFall as Joyce. \u201cRobert’s voice sounds incredible on this music,\u201d Davis said. \u201cAnd as one of the finest singing actors we’ve worked with, we were so fortunate that Robert agreed to create this role for our production.\u201d Katie Davis makes her freeFall debut as Nora. \u201cShe brings a spontaneity and freshness to the role that will woo audiences, and you simply could not hear Nora’s music sung better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis also choreographs and designs costumes and video elements, shaping a unified world for the story. \u201cI often like to realize several elements of productions I direct which allows me to directly impart my vision for that element of the show,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Music Director Michael Raabe and a five\u2011piece band perform onstage, becoming part of the action. \u201cI always like to think of each musician as a character in the story we are telling,\u201d Raabe said. \u201cWith this show we are on stage, which enhances the storytelling even more musically. We are among the actors sharing in an Irish anthem, a spirited pub song, or emotional theater ballad.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ensemble\u2014Julia Rifino, Drew H. Wells, and Michael Gregory\u2014slips in and out of roles such as Ezra Pound, Sylvia Beach, Harriet Weaver, and members of the Joyce family. \u201cThe goal is not to present a wax museum look-alike or a historical reenactment,\u201d Davis said. \u201cThe tone is much more that of a long yarn of tall tales that make up some approximation of memory, fish tale, and one’s life flashing before one’s life in the moments surrounding death.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though Joyce\u2019s writing is often seen as dense, Davis emphasizes that the musical is about the man, not the text. \u201cThis piece never seeks to present moments from his writing,\u201d he said. \u201cRather, this show explores his enigmatic and charming personality, his relationship with his parents and his children, the Church, his home country and city, and most importantly his relationship with the woman he considered his muse, Nora Barnacle.\u201d<\/p>\n
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