I'd like to travel to Valencia later this month to watch a performance and do some sightseeing, but because of the performance schedule and my commitments at home, if I do go, I will have to arrive on a Saturday, watch the performance the following night, and then leave on Monday. I'd like to fly on AA (my carrier of choice, and thereby taking advantage of DBEQM's) which has a nonstop from JFK to BCN, but the departure from BCN is at 11 am. IB has a flight from VLC that's early enough, but it prices at over $400, and trying it as a roundtrip doesn't help much (plus it looks like their Saturday schedule from BCN to VLC won't work well). Pricing the entire trip on AA straight through to VLC is very expensive. The Spanair morning flight from VLC to BCN would be too tight. The earliest morning train, which leaves Valencia at about 5 am (!) arrives in Barcelona (I think downtown ) at 935, which I think is also too tight. It looks like there's an ALSA bus that leaves Valencia at around 4 am (!) and is scheduled to arrive at BCN at 905, which should be sufficient time, but is it (a) reliable and (b)tolerable? Are there any other choices (other than driving myself, which I'd prefer not to do)?

If I were you, I would definitely drive.
AFAIK, the ALSA coaches have a 28" pitch which is a big no-no for me.

It is a 2.5hr drive if you are comfortable breaking the speed limit in places. Did it a few weeks ago, is highway all the way to BCN airport.

Otherwise, why not consider an AA flight out of a different city that you can connect to from VLC?

Thanks. I looked at a return on AA from MAD (through MIA), which prices about $200 higher than BCN but would be tolerable, and there's an IB flight that, purchased as a separate ticket, is at least cheaper than the one to BCN that morning, so that might be possible. But ticketing straight through from VLC (connecting anywhere) that day is prohibitive, and, having had a rough experience recently with IB's timeliness, I'd be reluctant to rely on them to get me there on time without at least the protection of a through ticket.
I also looked at hiring a driver, but that seemed to cost more than the roundtrip to BCN.
So the option appears to be rent a car and drive myself or not go. Would the traffic on a Monday morning before 9 am be bad?

Spanair has a morning flight from Munich which I use frequently since there are so few international flights to Valencia. You might look into that, too.

Probably too late, but Ryanair flies to Valencia - including from Madrid.

why not in train?
high speed euromed runs smoothly between Barcelona and Valencia in 2 hours.

Another though...Vueling BCN - VLC...cheap LCC so that may help you do it.