NEW YORK | In December 1974, a young Broadway and television actor, Joe Barbara, performed in his third grade Christmas play at Sacred Heart Catholic School in New Smyrna Beach. What began as a simple scene — opening a piece of candy — would ultimately lead him to a career in the entertainment industry.

Then-principal Sister Mary Nivard directed the school play and cast Barbara. Because of the candy’s cellophane wrapper, Barbara was unable to unwrap the candy, but the audience responded with laughter. It encouraged Barbara to keep the bit going.

“I realized, ‘Wow, this is funny. If I keep going, it gets funnier.’ It was my first entrée to getting laughs on stage, even though it was an accident,” Barbara recalled. “It was kind of fun, and probably in some way started the ball in motion for me doing what I’m doing.”

Barbara continued his quest for creativity by creating movies with his dad, who worked at Eastman Kodak.

“Back in the 1970s, not everyone had a video camera on their phone, so we were the rare family that took Super 8 movies of all the events — all the Sacred Heart fall festivals, Christmas parades, everything,” Barbara said.

In fifth grade, Barbara learned to film videos and create stories. He discovered he could produce entertainment rather than “just be in it.”

Barbara’s mom, Peggy, was the secretary at Sacred Heart Catholic School. Through her many roles and responsibilities, she developed a close relationship with the Sisters of Mercy.

“They were like her best friends. They would come over to the house, sometimes at Thanksgiving, we’d have 12 nuns and five priests. It was everything,” Barbara said. “It was my life. Redemptorist Father Charles Morawski used to come over to the house every Thursday. He didn’t call or tell us he was coming. He just knocked on the door.”

While in eighth grade, Barbara learned to play the guitar from Religious Sister of Mercy Soledad Aguilo who served Sacred Heart Parish. Barbara played at Mass through high school which led him to get into music.

“Musical stuff I learned from the priests at Sacred Heart and some of the teachers at (Father) Lopez and it really set me up for what I do now in a lot of ways.”

Growing up, the religious sisters would ask Barbara what he wanted to be when he grew up. After watching Yankee Doodle Dandy and noticing the effect it had on people, he decided to create films to initiate change.

His passion for theater and film carried into high school at Father Lopez in Daytona Beach. Barbara performed in a variety of theater productions. One year, his English teacher recognized his passion for film and gave him the platform to explore that realm.

“The project was something physical that (students) had to build, but he said mine was to make a movie. He really encouraged me to explore that aspect of my skillset, and we got to have fun, but it taught me a lot as well,” Barbara added.

Barbara studied television and film production at Syracuse University. His career took him around the country. He and his wife, Nicole, lived in Las Vegas so he could perform in “Jersey Boys.” His wife looked for a teaching job at a Catholic school. While interviewing, she realized the job was more suited for Joe than herself. Barbara took the position and started a broadcasting program that continues today.

When Barbara’s career wasn’t as demanding, he and his family temporarily moved back to New Smyrna Beach so he could support his aging parents. While there, Nicole taught at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

“Our eldest son also went to kindergarten at Sacred Heart which is really cool to know that my son went to the school my mom was such a huge part of,” added Barbara.

Barbara is fond of his time at Sacred Heart Catholic School and Father Lopez Catholic High School.

“(The experiences) at Sacred Heart and Father Lopez made me who I am today. Those schools and my parents are what formed me. It was a great social, moral, and Catholic upbringing,” he said.

Barbara brought his Catholic upbringing to some of his characters while on the Broadway stage. He incorporated his crucifix into his wardrobe for Charlie in the musical, “Just in Time.” Because of quick changes during the show, the costume designer got Barbara a different crucifix to wear throughout the show that magnetically clasps.

“I’ve been wearing (my crucifix) for 40 years. Our priest from Sacred Heart, Redemptorist Father Bill Biffar blessed this, and I remember the moment that he did it,” he said. “I wore it on both soaps I did. If anybody watched ‘Another World,’ Joe Carlino wore this crucifix. Paolo Caselli from ‘All My Children’ wore this crucifix. The more I can represent, the better.”

Barbara used to wear his crucifix underneath his t-shirt when he would meet fans. Now, he proudly wears his crucifix for fans to see.

“Someone on Broadway in an industry that’s not known for its faith-filled atmosphere,” he said. “It’s a way to signal to people that we can be in this industry and we can still have strong faith, strong beliefs, and strong moral values and be proud of them.”

The crucifix is the most important thing Barbara shares. His Catholic faith is the core of his life. When fans ask for advice in the industry, he reminds them to put God and family first. “There are better actors, there are better singers, but this is what I’m here for,” he said.

By Lana Kaczmarek, Special to the Florida Catholic, November 13, 2026