Toni Ballard & Casey Thomas

reservationsDine With Us.

Nothing Rhymes with Christmas

Toni Ballard and Casey Thomas offer a naughtily funny and musically rich take on the Yuletide season in this festive piano cabaret.

Recounting Christmas chaos, holiday hiccups, and the merry mishaps that rarely make it onto a greeting card, Toni and Casey blend skewed humor, heartfelt storytelling, and memorable music into an unforgettable hour of holiday entertainment. This will be Toni and Casey’s third production at Josephine’s. The first was 2024’s “A Matter of Time,” a poignant meditation on our most precious commodity. Last year’s “Send in the Clowns” was a comic commentary on current events and relationships. They plan to bring that same wit, warmth, and theatricality to the holidays.

Chicago native Toni Ballard, profiled in Scott Yanow’s book, “Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide,” has become a Napoleon Room open mic regular over the past four years. She performed for decades with numerous jazz and big bands, including the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, the Boston Big Band, the Silver Bullet Swing Orchestra, and the Ryles Jazz Orchestra, with whom she performed in 2002 at the Boston Globe Jazz Festival.

Toni has sung her repertoire of jazz standards in Boston’s best jazz clubs, including the Regattabar, Scullers, and Ryles Jazz Club. Most recently she’s performed at Arthur’s House of Jazz and a sold-out concert at The Mad Monkfish. Her CD “I’m Your Pal,” which features special guest, late jazz guitar icon Larry Coryell, is streaming on all platforms.

Casey Thomas has been singing for audiences for more than 15 years in cities including Boston, New York, Chicago, and New Orleans. His wide-ranging musical background encompasses rock, blues, soul, jazz, and cabaret. Whether breathing new life into a forgotten standard, combining rock ’n’ roll growl with bluesy emotional bite, or belting out a Broadway favorite, Casey delivers a unique narrative every time.

RESERVATIONS strongly recommended.